tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13832675148832858222024-02-06T23:44:39.280-05:00Fr Gilles' Journal d'Abbé GillesWELCOME to my JOURNAL + + + BIENVENUE à mon JOURNALFr. Gilles Surprenanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055431919615204171noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383267514883285822.post-24800177000990464622024-01-02T17:38:00.001-05:002024-01-02T17:39:24.800-05:00Nutrition, jeûne, et équilibre de vie pour favoriser la santé et un mieux être, pour un bien-être certain. Bonne, Heureuse, Saine, et Sainte Année 2024!<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white;"></center><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2eI-Gwh4DVmsmqDgcmrP-N-yye1EMn7ynLvpkqeQr42a_wbhguyIawg6H8IYmon5yMeqz-5T_08VE98tssv_nAozj5Wf5NWnIfrhqj_IGgC61Iki_6XbXB40eht11_nsL3FIuLqXBaUCWUwv6SeAi7-88yBNIKXGU5Jmy_bZH4MD3JX7ehnhebcQFW3g/s259/Sunday-Family-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2eI-Gwh4DVmsmqDgcmrP-N-yye1EMn7ynLvpkqeQr42a_wbhguyIawg6H8IYmon5yMeqz-5T_08VE98tssv_nAozj5Wf5NWnIfrhqj_IGgC61Iki_6XbXB40eht11_nsL3FIuLqXBaUCWUwv6SeAi7-88yBNIKXGU5Jmy_bZH4MD3JX7ehnhebcQFW3g/s1600/Sunday-Family-2.jpg" width="259" /></a></b></span></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Bonne, Heureuse, Saine, et Sainte Année 2024!</b></div></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Et voilà, nous avons vécu un autre Jour de l'An! Bénies sont les personnes qui ont pu le vivre en compagnie de leur famille ou d'une famille d'amis.... On peut s'attendre qu'en conversation, il aurait pu être question de résolutions du Nouvel An... touchant nos activités de la vie de tous les jours les plus importantes: (1) le sommeil; (2) l'eau; (3) la nutrition; (4) l'activité physique; </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: large;">(5) le travail signifiant et satisfaisant;</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: large;">(6) les relations avec les autres;</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: large;">(7) recevoir et donner le pardon;</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: large;">(8) la détente passive et active; (9) les envolées de l'esprit; (10) les périodes de vacances et de répit; (11) la relation avec le Créateur; (12) les relations avec le monde et notre environnement; et tout cela sans anxiété mais dans un esprit détendu. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><b>(1) </b> <b>Le sommeil: </b>Nous passons presque le tiers de notre temps à dormir; donc, il est sage d'y assurer un repos maximal: excellent matelas, air pur, bonne préparation au sommeil (pratiques hygiéniques et boire de l'eau). Selon <a href="https://sante.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/Sommeil_un_carnet_pour_mieux_comprendre.pdf"><b>l'Institut National du Sommeil et de la Vigilance</b></a> (carnet pdf) à Paris en France, un sommeil suffisant et efficace est essentiel pour "la croissance, la maturation cérébrale, le développement et la préservation de nos capacités cognitives"; sans oublier notre équilibre psychique et notre bien-être à tous les niveaux. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><b>(2) </b> <b>L'eau: </b>En parlant de boire de l'eau, notre organisme biologique est composé à 65% d'eau pour un adulte selon le <a href="https://www.cnrs.fr/cw/dossiers/doseau/decouv/usages/eauOrga.html#:~:text=Usages%20%3A%20eau%20dans%20organisme&text=L%27eau%20est%20le%20principal,une%20personne%20de%2070%20kilogrammes."><b>Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)</b></a>. Voilà pourquoi le consensus en nutrition et en médecine est qu'un adulte devrait boire environ 1.5 litres ou 8 verres d'eau par jour, pas tout à la fois, mais graduellement au long de la journée. Selon le <a href="https://www.cieau.com/leau-et-votre-sante/eau-hydratation-et-hygiene/hydratation/boire-trop-deau-peut-il-nuire-a-la-sante/#:~:text=Il%20est%20généralement%20conseillé%20de,pronostic%20vital%20est%20alors%20engagé."><b>Centre d'information sur l'eau</b></a>, boire plus de 5 litres d'eau en une journée serait dangéreux, mais en général ce n'est pas notre risque; au contraire, nous risquons de ne pas boire suffisamment d'eau. Notre corps entier a besoin d'eau pour fonctionner rondement, et en particulier nos organes principales on besoin d'eau comme une voiture a besoin d'eau pour refroidir le moteur et d'huile pour le lubrifier. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><b>(3) </b> <b>La nutrition</b> touche non seulement notre survie, mais aussi un des principaux plaisirs de la vie - par nous-mêmes mais encore mieux en compagnie des personnes bien-aimèes - et elle est étroitement liée également à notre santé et notre bien-être. Il y a plein de livres sur le marché sur ce sujet, et voici un fichier pdf du <a href="https://www.santelaurentides.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/internet/cisss_laurentides/Soins_et_services/Alimentation/LI_Les_ressources_scientifiques.pdf"><b>CIUSSS des Laurentides</b></a> qui offre des liens à des pages ou sites qui peuvent nous être utiles: <a href="https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/hc-sc/migration/hc-sc/fn-an/alt_formats/pdf/nutrition/fiche-nutri-data/user_guide_utilisation-fra.pdf"><b>Fichier canadien sur les éléments nutritifs</b></a> pdf Canada; <a href="https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/hc-sc/migration/hc-sc/fn-an/alt_formats/pdf/nutrition/fiche-nutri-data/nvscf-vnqau-fra.pdf"><b>Valeur nutritive de quelques aliments usuels</b></a> pdf Canada; <a href="https://www.inspq.qc.ca/sites/default/files/publications/931_rapportnutritionadultes.pdf"><b>La consommation alimentaire et les apports nutritionnels</b></a> pdf Québec; <a href="https://www.lesoeufs.ca/ressources/"><b>Ressources, livres et fichiers</b></a> PDF par les Producteurs d'œufs du Canada; <a href="https://www.inspq.qc.ca/sites/default/files/publications/931_rapportnutritionadultes.pdf"><b>La consommation alimentaire et les apports nutritionnels</b></a> pdf par l'Institut national de santé publique du Québec; <a href="https://publications.msss.gouv.qc.ca/msss/fichiers/2008/chapitre3.pdf"><b>Évaluation des besoins nutritionnels en fonction de l'âge</b></a> pdf par MSSS / Publications; <a href="https://www.inspq.qc.ca/sites/default/files/publications/983_nutritionresume_fnl.pdf"><b>Coup d'oeil sur l'alimentation des adultes québécois</b></a> pdf par l'Institut national de santé publique du Québec; Vision de la saine alimentation pdf par MSSS / Publications. Il y a plein de documents et de ressources sur ce sujet. Relié à la nutrition il y a une importante pratique qui remonte à des millénnaires et qui aujourd'hui bénéficie de recherches scientifiques.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><b>Le jeûne - ami d'une bonne nutrition </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Durant le jeûne, notre corps éprouve des sensations de "faim", ce qui met le corps au même diapason que l'esprit qui, pour sa part, a toujours faim et soif de Dieu. Dieu nous a créés pour vivre en partenariat, en amitié, en communion - en lien étroit avec le Père en passant par Jésus et soutenus par le Saint-Esprit. C'est le domaine de Dieu... c'est Lui qui s'occupe de nous entrainer dans cette amitié... c'est toujours Lui qui prend l'initiative, et ce qui nous revient c'est tout simplement de répondre ou de s'abstenir, de l'accueillir ou de résister, de dire "oui" ou de dire "non, pas pour le moment". Dieu ne fait jamais violence à notre liberté, qui est peut-être le plus grand don qu'Il nous fait, au-delà du don de la vie elle-même. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><b>Le jeûne et la "patience" </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Accepter d'endurer quelque chose est le coeur de "la patience", mot qui nous vient du Latin, du verbe "patior" qui se traduit "je souffre". Voilà pourquoi nous nommons les personnes à l'hôpital pour recevoir un traitement en vue d'une convalescence "des patients"; justement parce que les personnes malades ou blessées <u style="background-color: transparent;">souffrent</u> des malaises et des douleurs. Pour bien vivre le jeûne, nous avons tout simplement a accepter de vivre, d'endurer, les sensations de la faim - telles qu'elles se font ressentir en nous - durant la période de jeûne. Le simple fait d'accepter d'endurer l'inconfort en faveur d'autrui est un acte d'amour. Voilà pourquoi le jeûne est si efficace pour nous entrainer vers Dieu dans cette relation intérieure que nous appelons la spiritualité, la communion spirituelle, souvent vécue dans la prière. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><b>La science, la médecine, et la sagesse de l'expérience </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">Selon <a href="https://lemedecinduquebec.org/archives/2022/3/jeune-intermittent-declenchement-des-mecanismes-d-adaptation-du-corps/"><b>"</b></a></span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://lemedecinduquebec.org/archives/2022/3/jeune-intermittent-declenchement-des-mecanismes-d-adaptation-du-corps/"><b>Le Médecin du Québec"</b></a>, le "Jeûne intermittent" permet le "déclenchement des mécanismes d'adaptation du corps". Non seulement le jeûne permet-il de perdre du poids, mais encore plus important, il permet au corps - en tant qu'un organisme biologique dans son intégralité - de fonctionner plus rondement. En d'autres termes, cette pratique favorise le bien-être à tous les niveaux. En vue d'une perspective plus équilibrée, Radio-Canada a publié dans le cadre de "découvertes" et "actualités culinaires" cet article: <a href="https://ici.radio-canada.ca/mordu/4072/jeune-intermittent-bienfaits-perte-poids-alimentation"><b>"Le jeûne intermittent : populaire, mais pas fait pour tout le monde"</b></a> </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Publié le 4 mai 2022 </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">par Élise Madé </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">de <a href="https://ici.radio-canada.ca/mordu/l-epicerie"><b>L'épicerie</b></a>. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>La dimension spirituelle </b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">La recherche "</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">le jeûne une expérience philosophique" a donné pleine de <a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=le+jeûne+une+expérience+philosophique&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8">liens intéressants</a>. Cependant, ce qui m'intéresse davantage, et touche de plus près ma propre expérience de foi en tant que chrétien catholique, est dans la direction du "</span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=le+jeûne+une+expérience+spirituelle&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8">jeûne, une expérience spirituelle</a>". Suite à mes années de formation et au cours de 40 ans de ministère en tant que prêtre, je peux affirmer avec confiance que le jeûne se situe dans une place d'honneur dans l'expérience de Dieu qu'on fait des générations sans compte de juifs et de chrétiens depuis des millénnaires. Il y a eu plein de personnages de l'Ancien Testament qui se sont rapprochés de Dieu moyennant la prière et le jeûne. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">Jésus a lui-même enseigné la relation étroite entre la prière, le jeûne, et l'aumône - le don fait auprès des pauvres et aussi au Bon Dieu pour soutenir son oeuvre sur la Terre: la prière, le jeûne, et l'aumône - lors de son sermon sur la montagne en <a href="https://www.aelf.org/bible/Mt/6"><b>Mathieu chapitre 6</b></a>. Sur le site "Le Jour du Seigneur" on y trouve un bon survol de la sagesse sur <a href="https://www.lejourduseigneur.com/fetes-chretiennes/le-jeune-dans-la-bible"><b>"Le jeûne dans la Bible"</b></a>, dans le Nouveau Testament aussi bien que dans le Vieux Testament, la Bible de nos frères et soeurs juifs. Voici la réponse d'un évêque français à la question: <a href="https://fr.aleteia.org/2017/02/28/pourquoi-jeuner-prier-et-faire-laumone-pendant-le-careme-la-reponse-dun-eveque/"><b>"</b></a></span></span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://fr.aleteia.org/2017/02/28/pourquoi-jeuner-prier-et-faire-laumone-pendant-le-careme-la-reponse-dun-eveque/"><b>Pourquoi jeûner, prier et faire l’aumône pendant le Carême ?"</b></a> dans Aleteia enligne par Christophe Dufour. Voici un résumé de la question publié pour les jeunes sur "Le portail des jeunes de l'Église catholique", toujours en France: <a href="https://www.jeunes-cathos.fr/questions-de-foi/catecheses-et-reflexions/le-jeune-la-priere-et-laumone-trois-actes-inseparables#:~:text=Tout%20au%20long%20du%20Carême,Pierre%20Chrysologue%20dans%20cette%20homélie."><b>"Le jeûne, la prière et l’aumône : trois actes inséparables"</b></a>. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">On peut trouver une abondance de ressources enligne sur les sujets suivants. Si vous avez des difficultés, sentez-vous libre de communiquer avec moi: <a href="mailto:abbagilles@gmail.com">abbagilles@gmail.com</a> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><b>(4) l'activité physique: </b>Le corps humain est manifestement conçu et construit en fonction du mouvement intégral de tout le corps. On n'a qu'à considérer nos articulations, notre système musculaire, et nos systèmes de respiration et de circulation... quel chef d'oeuvre nous sommes.... Il va donc sans dire qu'à chaque jour nous devrions non seulement nous mouvoir, mais aussi y prendre plaisir. Il n'est pas nécessaire de s'astreindre à des programmes exigents de culture ou d'entrainement physique; mais il suffit de faire bon usage des opportunités que la vie de tous les jours nous accorde pour bouger. Bougeons en prenant le temps de respirer, de regarder autour de nous, de prendre conscience de l'état de notre corps et de notre esprit, et de prendre plaisir à bouger, à se mouvoir.... </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><b>(5) le travail signifiant et satisfaisant:</b> Le Pape Saint Jean-Paul II a publié un bel ouvrage sur l'importance, la valeur, et la dignité du travail dans la vie humaine; affirmant que le Créateur nous a fait à son image, y compris dans ce domaine de la vie. Le travail signifiant et satisfaisant nous aide à nous développer pleinement en tant que personnes humaines, et que sans le travail, nous ne pouvons pas y arriver. Cela comprend les opportunités de faire face à tous les défis qui surgissent tout au long du travail que nous entreprenons. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><b>(6) les relations avec les autres:</b> Nous sommes aussi créés pour être en relation avec nos semblables; sans pour autant nier notre besoin de solitude. Nous sommes donce appelés à vivre un certain équilibre entre nos temps de solitude et de contemplation, d'une part, et d'autre part, tout le temps et toutes les occasions que nous avons d'entrer en relation avec les autres, nos semblables. Les autres, par leur seules différences avec nous, nous provoque à devenir à tous les jours une meilleure version de nous-mêmes. Cette tension est au coeur du mariage entre un homme et une femme: leurs différences ne peuvent jamais disparaître. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><b>(7) recevoir et donner le pardon:</b> Ce sont en partie ces mêmes différences qui peuvent engendrer des conflits, des heurts, et même des blessures, plus ou moins sérieuses. Les sages nous rappellent que tant et aussi longtemps que je refuse de pardonner celui ou celle qui m'a blessé; je retiens cette personne dans une sorte de prison. Le problème est que cela m'exige plein d'énergie pour les maintenir dans cette prison - dont les barreaux sont la douleur, la colère, la haine, l'anxiété, et pleine d'autres émotions destructrices - ce qui fait que nous demeurons tous les deux en prison: eux en raison de mon refus de les pardonner, et moi, en raison de tout l'effort requis pour les garder en cette prison. En tant que gardien, je me trouve moi aussi en prison, que je le veuille ou non. Quand je pardonne de tout mon coeur, je libère non seulement le prisonnier, mais aussi le gardien, moi-même. Les disciples de Jésus découvre que par le pardon que Jésus a effectué sur sa Croix, Il nous habilite à pardonner à notre tour. Le prix a déjà été payé; il suffit de faire comme Lui pour an jouir.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><b>(8) la détente passive et active:</b> Le repos et le jeu sont parmi les nombreuses façon que nous avons pour nous reposer et refaire nos forces physiques, psychiques, morales, et spirituelles. Nous pouvons nous détendre tout seul ou en compagnie avec d'autres personnes. La détente est une activité clé pour toute famille et communauté où les gens vivent ensemble pour toute ou une partie de la semaine. On pourrait dire que chaque jour a besoin de sa détente; ainsi que chaque semaine. On peut entrevoir un temps spécial de détente pour chaque mois et à la fin de chaque année. C'est nécessaire, mais on peut mettre l'accent sur la liberté de la faire et le plaisir qu'on peut y prendre. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><b>(9) les envolées de l'esprit:</b> La personne humaine se différentie des "autres animaux" sur la planète Terre de diverses façons, mais une façon plus remarquable est notre capacité de "partir en des envolées de l'esprit" dans la musique, la poésie, les arts plastiques, la peinture, la sculpture, la littérature, la philosophie, la science et la technologie, la spiritualité, et la religion; entre autres domaines d'activité spécifiquement humaines. Une personne qui ne permet jamais à son esprit "de s'envoler" resterait "cloué au sol"... quel dommage.... </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><b>(10) les périodes de vacances et de répit:</b> Au-delà de la détente, qui peut ne prendre que quelques minutes, ou quelques heures, ou quelques jours; nous avons besoin de "sortir de notre milieu habituel" par une sorte de vacance.... Le Frère Oblat Ernest Gauthier, OMI, portier au Séminaire Universitaire Saint-Paul à Ottawa de 1937 à 1983, que j'ai connu, disait qu'il nous est toujours possible de prendre "une vacance d'une minute" en nous rappelant la présence et l'amour de Dieu; qui désire habiter en nous, au fond de notre esprit. Là, c'est Dieu Lui-même qui nous libère du fardeau qui nous dérange, et comme un petit enfant, Il nous prend dans ses bras et nous rassure. Suite à cette petite vacance, nous retournons volontiers à nos occupations dans un esprit de prière et de confiance en Dieu. Évidemment, nous pouvons prendre de "vraies vacances" de quelques jours par mois ou de quelques semaines une ou deux fois par année; selon ce qui nous est possible. Ce n'est pas nécessaire d'y dépenser beaucoup d'argent non plus; avec de la créativité, tout devient possible.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><b>(11) la relation avec le Créateur:</b> Soit l'univers a toujours été là, indépendent de toute influence extérieure, soit qu'il a eu un début et qu'il a fallu une force extérieur pour "le faire partir". C'est l'avis majoritaire des scientifiques de notre époque; selon la théorie du "big bang"... la "grosse explosion" du début. Prenant pour acquis que Dieu le Créateur existe, nos seuls choix sont de l'ignorer ou d'accepter d'être en relation avec Lui. Ceci est facilité par la venue en notre monde du Fils de Dieu, conçu par Marie en son sein par l'action puissante mais discrète du Saint-Esprit; selon la parole de l'Ange Gabriel qu'il a prononçée à Marie lors de l'Annonciation et publiée par <a href="https://www.aelf.org/bible/Lc/1"><b>Luc dans son évangile au chapitre premier</b></a>. Voilà l'événement que nous fêtons à Noël - la Nativité de Celui que Marie avait conçu en son sein neuf mois plus tôt vers le 25 mars - que nous fêtons et appelons L'Annonciation. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><b>(12) les relations avec le monde et notre environnement:</b> Le Pape actuel, en fonction depuis son élection le 13 mars, 2013, est sans doute celui qui a articulé de façon la plus pratique ce que pourrait devenir et être nos relations avec les autres ainsi qu'avec le monde; ce qu'il appelle "notre maison commune" depuis la publication de sa lettre encyclique <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/fr/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html"><b>"Laudato Si - sur la sauvegarde de la maison commune"</b></a> le 24 mai, 2015. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><b>Évidemment, ce qui est de loin le plus désirable est de faire tout cela, devenant plus habile, un jour à la fois, et sans anxiété, mais au contraire, dans un esprit détendu. </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Bonne, Heureuse, Saine, et Sainte Année 2024!</span></p><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div><div><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="color: black; text-align: left;"></p><p style="color: black;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</b></div></div><p style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="color: black;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; text-align: left;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"></center><p style="color: black; text-align: left;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"></span></div><p style="color: black;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #343434; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><div style="color: #343434;"><b style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;"></span></b><p style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="FR-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"><b>© 2004-2024 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC<br />© 2004-2024 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC</b></span><span style="text-indent: 21.6pt;"> </span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">+ + + + + + + + + + + + </span></p></div></div></span></div>Fr. Gilles Surprenanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055431919615204171noreply@blogger.com0Montreal, QC, Canada45.5018869 -73.5673918999999917.191653063821157 -108.72364189999999 73.812120736178855 -38.41114189999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383267514883285822.post-38783468125011248622023-10-12T11:59:00.006-04:002023-10-13T12:17:47.320-04:00On the Recent Escalation of Conflict in the Holy Land<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white;"></center><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRy2yWE4_ryrUDoMGIIP1_5Z7OOcvLJ76Si2t5LUzC5BxvSrJvok5Tcohp5i3m5ucVl222ttDx5nRR5cQG3kEHeK0e-xa4vauYx88zkII9WUmPb4jZJVmLLE6CERLpkYSYUHuUliKWa3eeDXjHdZ9rJb3LmC5w-rK3y5GXXy89OF8VLmUJ8FJll3G_8VM/s275/violent-extremism-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRy2yWE4_ryrUDoMGIIP1_5Z7OOcvLJ76Si2t5LUzC5BxvSrJvok5Tcohp5i3m5ucVl222ttDx5nRR5cQG3kEHeK0e-xa4vauYx88zkII9WUmPb4jZJVmLLE6CERLpkYSYUHuUliKWa3eeDXjHdZ9rJb3LmC5w-rK3y5GXXy89OF8VLmUJ8FJll3G_8VM/s1600/violent-extremism-1.jpg" width="275" /></a></span></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmXW5C8zIvU5fb3IoeDxgRpTCBX6fI9c2n1688fmZWGpVGRTJEXGkmuhu5dIkDPh-WcZrEN5SXFvRdso5FgP8p2muuBSu-9uAOxeWK0zlg0rz7FDGoHR8l-CGVEji5RHM2Jnus7QucNhOeoGzehEFqV71IkteazuhQkNC2_u9_bPQlO8xGDENFBFqkFPg/s410/StCallixteRome2008.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="410" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmXW5C8zIvU5fb3IoeDxgRpTCBX6fI9c2n1688fmZWGpVGRTJEXGkmuhu5dIkDPh-WcZrEN5SXFvRdso5FgP8p2muuBSu-9uAOxeWK0zlg0rz7FDGoHR8l-CGVEji5RHM2Jnus7QucNhOeoGzehEFqV71IkteazuhQkNC2_u9_bPQlO8xGDENFBFqkFPg/s320/StCallixteRome2008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <span> </span>CCCB President the Most Reverend Bishop William T. McGrattan has just published a very reasoned statement on behalf of the Roman Catholic Bishops and faithful of Canada on the recent escalation of conflict in the Holy Land. You can read the short statement <a href="https://www.cccb.ca/announcement/statement-by-the-most-rev-william-t-mcgrattan-bishop-of-calgary-and-cccb-president-to-the-catholic-faithful-in-canada-on-the-recent-escalation-of-conflict-in-the-holy-land/"><b>here</b></a>.</span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span> </span><span> Sadly, what usually remains unsaid or concealed in the shadows is the behaviour of the successive Israeli governments towards their Palestinian inhabitants since 1948, when there was a transfer of authority from the British protectorate to self-governing Jewish bodies.</span><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span> It is well documented that the new State of Israel proceeded methodically and without relenting to the removal of Palestinian inhabitants, turning their homes, vineyards, and gardens over to Jewish settlers. This policy continues to this day unabated. Those who were displaced and not killed were resettled in one of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_refugee_camps"><b>68 refugee camps</b></a> in various places - in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip - which became rather like gettoes. This is because Israeli military and security have kept them hemmed in, so as to prevent them from returning to their former homes. <br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span><span> </span><span> When I led two pilgrimage groups to the Holy Land in September 2000 and September 2013, our pilgrims met many Palestinians who are actually Israeli citizens. However, they shared with us the ways in which they are treated by the State of Israel as second class citizens. They are deprived of normal government services: no street repairs or maintenance, and many other services we take for granted are simply not provided; even though they pay their full share of taxes like their Jewish neighbours. </span><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span><span> It is this <a href="https://electronicintifada.net/content/israels-purging-palestinian-christians/6669"><b>unrelenting and ever encroaching Israeli policy</b></a> over the past 75 years of taking over Palestinian land to create new Jewish settlements that makes it impossible for peace to ever be realized between these two peoples. This is no doubt a factor in the extreme policy of groups like Hamas, which is dedicated to the elimination of the State of Israel. <br /></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span><span> So, where does that leave us, the rest of the world? We share the same helplessness of the just and righteous people on both sides: just and humane <u>Jewish people</u> in Israel who lament their country's harsh and merciless policy towards their Palestinian neighbours, and just and longsuffering <u>Palestinian people</u> - both Christian and Muslim - who are held hostage by violent groups like Hamas who take it upon themselves to champion the Palestinian cause; even though those they claim to represent abhor their violent policies and terrorist acts. <br /></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span><span><span> </span><span> This is a riddle which will only ever be resolved by our Creator God, who hears the prayers of all his children, whether they be Jewish, Palestinian, Muslim, or Christian.</span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span> </span><span> </span>Sadly, to sum up, there is the tragic violence of military campaigns and terrorist actions. However, there is also the equally tragic violence of government policies intentionally designed for displacing people, seizing their land, and establishing in their place new settlements. True, at the time of the Exodus, God Almighty led his people into an occupation of Canaan, defeating and displacing people, but they were not entirely driven out or exterminated. The proof is that time and again God had to call on his people to repent of imitating those other people in their practices of idolatry.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #38761d; text-align: center;"><span> </span><span> </span>In our time, the State of Israel seems to have adopted a policy of systematically displacing people from their homes, apparently inspired by the original occupation after the Exodus. We believe this to be an erroneous interpretation of God's will for his people in our day. We are all children of Abraham, which makes us brothers and sisters of one father, and it is high time to find ways to live together in peace, which will require abandoning any number of ambitions.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>"Lord, have mercy on all your children."</span></span></span></span></span></p><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><div style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</b></div></div><p style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="color: black;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; text-align: left;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"></center><p style="color: black; text-align: left;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"></span></div><p style="color: black;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #343434; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><div><b style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;"></span></b><p style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="FR-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"><b>© 2004-2023 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC<br />© 2004-2023 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC</b></span><span style="text-indent: 21.6pt;"> </span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">+ + + + + + + + + + + + </span></p></div></div></span></div>Fr. Gilles Surprenanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055431919615204171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383267514883285822.post-26940380164376915282023-05-16T01:24:00.003-04:002023-05-16T01:32:19.060-04:00Our Roman Catholic Church has become poor, sometimes living among the poor, other times not, but still poor and a minority in society. We are often unable to defend ourselves or the truth against those who promote or pass on myths and misconceptions.<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white;"></center><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7UlzFMT3WHbQgIiL4jtippYt6AQNfHycysSebZ6NLLuPymLPZnHrX_qzgne2Sfz35yiZC0ZMYiFeHBnmXjKFsPihYjD8PRnWK-arkupS_qYnNGut3coc6t5f6RaMaf2UD6JhqzZdQm37Ji2lVyUGbMM9pAzdI9KqLe1mew5AQz3xybDXTjXKUnUF/s1412/L'eglise%20a%20l'epiphanie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1412" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7UlzFMT3WHbQgIiL4jtippYt6AQNfHycysSebZ6NLLuPymLPZnHrX_qzgne2Sfz35yiZC0ZMYiFeHBnmXjKFsPihYjD8PRnWK-arkupS_qYnNGut3coc6t5f6RaMaf2UD6JhqzZdQm37Ji2lVyUGbMM9pAzdI9KqLe1mew5AQz3xybDXTjXKUnUF/s320/L'eglise%20a%20l'epiphanie.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br /><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;">Slide of our church in l'Épiphanie, QC, I took in 1965 when our family moved to a dairy farm there when I was 16. It burned down almost 30 years ago and they built a smaller, more modern one inside some of the remaining walls. At present, we are small, lively faith communities, much like in the early Church at the time of the Apostles. </span></b><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><b>What is your understanding of God? Of Jesus Christ? Of his Church? Of the Roman Catholic Church in particular?</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">Dear Friend who are willing to read me here, please allow me to "vent" a little of these
thoughts regarding the "state of the Church" today.... <br />
</span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">We are the Church of Jesus, all of us who believe in Him as the Son of God, and the only Saviour of the world. We are all in this together, in trying to live together on Planet Earth. Pope Francis since his election in 2013 has pleaded with all of humanity to work together as brothers and sisters sharing this planet as <b>"<a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html">our common home</a>"</b>. Unlike the doomsayers, Pope Francis is hopeful that we can work together to prevent the worst from happening to our world which we will be leaving to our children and grandchildren. </span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">One of our realities and burdens for Church workers in recent
years is the reality of so few people regularly going to Church,
which translates into few Sunday offerings, which results in
churches being unable to have full time employees but only part
time, and in many cases, not even part time but relying in part or
completely on volunteers. Our Church may look impressive in its
buildings, but they were erected at a time when the majority of the population was Catholic and attending Church every Sunday. Now, most of them are almost resembling ghost towns in
fact. Some French parishes only have a volunteer secretary for
under ten hours of office time a week. That's all. <br />
</span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">One of my first parishes was St. Aloysius, where I served from
195 to 1994, which was founded in 1908. At the time, it was the
8th English parish because there were only 7 others. Two or three
of those original parishes no longer exist because some of their
churches were expropriated for the building of the Ville-Marie
Expressway and the CBC complex downtown. The people had lots of
young families and built a church, hall, and rectory between 1908
and 1910. The population shifted to the north and west and east
ends of Montreal and then to the West Island suburbs. By 1970, the
parish could no longer afford to maintain its buildings and let
them be expropriated by the City of Montreal in 1969 or 1970.
Parishioners stripped the church of valuable items like stained
glass windows. The Diocese put some church furnishings in storage
to be used in new churches being built. Stained glass windows were
auctioned off to parishioners to allow the Sunday Assembly to keep
going in rented premises like Protestant churches. <br />
</span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">There was a terrific expansion of English parishes as families
with lots of children all became adults, married, and had children
of their own from the 1930's to 1960's. Over two dozen new English
parishes were founded and new churches built during those decades,
during which time 75 to 85% of the population were going to Church
every Sunday. Those parishes saw 5,000 to 15,000 people at 7 to 10
Sunday Masses every Sunday, including children, teenagers, and
young adults. Even when they gave small offerings between $0.10
and $2.00 - in today's money that would be $2 to $15 - the sheer
number of people provided parishes with proper operating budgets
and allowed them to hire staff, pay operating expenses, and
maintain and repair their buildings, and pay down their mortgages.</span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">Attendance dropped off dramatically between the 1960's and 1990's
until today, where barely 5% of the population participates in
Sunday worship regularly. People went to Church because they
believed in God. Now, many people have doubts. It's only human to
have doubts. Sadly, many people who have power and influence use
it to promote their doubts or skepticism about God or about the Church. They often pass on misinformation or
even bare faced lies, and our Church now, reduced in numbers of
loyal members as well as reduced in young, bright, enthusiastic
clergy and lay workers, no longer enjoys "holding the microphone"
which addresses the general public. The Church can no longer
defend herself, or the truth, with the exception of people like
<a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/vatican/en.html">Pope Francis</a>, who is still covered and quoted in many places, both
the mass media and social media. <br />
</span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">Many "myths" are being passed on in both mass and social media
today, such as faith is opposed to reason, the Bible is opposed to
science, and the Church is opposed to justice and progress. I
don't blame people who believe these things because they have
simply been misinformed. However, it is wrong to pass on
information that is not true if we have not investigated it
ourselves to verify whether what we are passing on is true or not.
The truth is that the majority of scientists leading up to and
making up the "scientific revolution" of the 1500's to the 1800's
were in fact Christians, and deep believers in God, and many were
even priests. <br />
</span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">It is because they believed in God and that the universe was his
Creation manifesting his beauty and wisdom that they engaged in
scientific study and experiments. They were in awe of the ways in
which nature reflects the qualities of the Creator, just as art
reflects the qualities of the artist. Most if not all of the first
universities in Europe were started and developed by the Church so
that more people could have access to learning. Missionaries all
over the world brought education to the impoverished people to
whom they went to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.
Missionaries in Canada and the far north worked to construct
dictionaries in order to preserve indigenous languages, knowledge,
wisdom, and history, and in many cases, even invented written
languages for those peoples. <br />
</span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">Residential schools were a tragedy enforced by the Canadian
government, which was copying policies of the American government.
The American government was carrying on a systematic genocide of
indigenous peoples because of the wars caused by whites not
respecting treaties made with the indigenous as well as some
indigenous rebellious braves warring on innocent whites. Our
Canadian government was ignorant or prejudiced in enforcing
residential school policies to subdue the indigenous population
and force them to assimilate into Canadian society. It was wrong
also for the government to force religious and missionaries to
implement this government policy. Today, the Church and Pope
Francis have apologized, the Canadian government established the
<a href="https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1450124405592/1529106060525">Truth and Reconciliation Commission</a>, and the rest of us need to
catch up on taking interest in indigenous peoples and being
willing to meet, listen, and talk with them. Many "calls to action" have been put together and published like <a href="https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/indigenous-people/aboriginal-peoples-documents/calls_to_action_english2.pdf">this one</a>. We have a long way to
go yet. <br />
</span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">If Saint Paul in some of his letters insisted on women covering
their heads in the Sunday assembly (there were no church buildings
yet or for another few centuries), it was not a put down of women.
The truth is that in the Roman Empire, woman were only safe in
their father's house or their husband's house. If women lived
anywhere else, it was because they had no choice but to be slaves
or prostitutes, where they were exploited and forced to expose
their hair for the enjoyment and exploitation by everyone. After
their hair was seen and enjoyed, it was other parts of them that
were often exploited. St. Paul was saying that when women came to
the worshipping Assembly of Christians, they would not be
exploited and did not have to expose their hair or be seen or used
for the pleasure of others. In the Christian Assembly, they would
be left alone and could keep their hair covered, because they
would be safe and respected, whether they were living in their
father's house, or their husband's house, or their own house, or
in one of the new Christian communities even if they were still
single.</span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">That is only one among hundreds of examples of how people today
misunderstand the conditions of societies in the past and misjudge
the Catholic Church for her teachings and practices and also
misread the Bible, not understanding the actual conditions in
which the Church existed and developed over the past 20 centuries,
or the conditions under which each of the books in the Bible were
inspired by God and written between roughly 2,200 B.C. and 99 A.D.
<br />
</span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">Jesus predicted that his followers and disciples would be
persecuted, accused, falsely condemned, unfairly jailed, and even
executed for his sake, and this is now happening in dozens of
countries around the world. It is partly happening here, and it
may very well get worse soon. In the meantime, those who still
work for the Church are courageous and generous, and extremely
devoted, even if they are only able to work part time, and even
when they have to volunteer because their parish is unable to
afford paying them. <br />
</span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">As a result, errors happen. We are no longer anything resembling
a "big corporation". We are little, poor, often aging, like
myself, often brilliant, at times smart enough but far from
brilliant. But God loves the poor, the misunderstood, the
persecuted, widows and orphans. <br />
</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">
</span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">Thank you for reading my "vent"... (smile). I hope to meet you or have an exchange by email or phone, or even to see you soon. Thank you for reading me. Peace to you and your family, to your colleagues and friends, and all their families.</span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">Christ is risen, alleluia!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><div style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</b></div></div><p style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="color: black;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; text-align: left;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"></center><p style="color: black; text-align: left;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"></span></div><p style="color: black;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #343434; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><div><b style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;"></span></b><p style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="FR-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"><b>© 2004-2023 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC<br />© 2004-2023 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC</b></span><span style="text-indent: 21.6pt;"> </span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">+ + + + + + + + + + + + </span></p></div></div></span></div>Fr. Gilles Surprenanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055431919615204171noreply@blogger.com0Montreal, QC, Canada45.5018869 -73.5673918999999917.191653063821157 -108.72364189999999 73.812120736178855 -38.41114189999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383267514883285822.post-17254247232943356422023-01-22T16:20:00.007-05:002023-01-22T16:39:42.558-05:002023 - 40th Anniversary Year of Marriage, Religious Life, and Priesthood<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white;"></center><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAme1HBgqK2GAkuVQGKQL2XhbU8UFbnHlJvmZJ_MjGsDgrwXzTCmtestjL27VOS-Qfev4M3vHEVBo7_2nzr8SPnbWiotuB_h0Atqg6fBajXn_fkaHheI-AZxVJwL7X_KCQOMM5UE1bv_2EZFCHuZQfQbvKFezZDsTrX491UfKX2UH7SH5uTDRbrpoK/s1458/1980-At_Tessie's%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1458" data-original-width="1058" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAme1HBgqK2GAkuVQGKQL2XhbU8UFbnHlJvmZJ_MjGsDgrwXzTCmtestjL27VOS-Qfev4M3vHEVBo7_2nzr8SPnbWiotuB_h0Atqg6fBajXn_fkaHheI-AZxVJwL7X_KCQOMM5UE1bv_2EZFCHuZQfQbvKFezZDsTrX491UfKX2UH7SH5uTDRbrpoK/s320/1980-At_Tessie's%20(2).jpg" width="232" /></a></span></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>1980-1981</b></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">This was the year a certain seminarian intern was assigned to <a href="https://stkevinsparishmontreal.ca">St. Kevin Parish</a>, where he was welcomed by the Filippino Choir... a bunch of young people who were part of the "great immigration" of children of the Philippines to all parts of the world. Some of them were "live-in" maids living during the work week in the homes of their employers and sharing a small apartment on the weekend. One such apartment was the location where the Choir met after Sunday 5:00 p.m. Mass for a "pot luck" supper. The atmosphere was very warm, fraternal, and convivial, a loving community which was a glimpse of Heaven.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">In fact, many of these young people, women and men, were in their 20's or 30's and were, in effect, in a period of preparation and discernment regarding their vocation in life. The seminarian was on his way towards ordination, first as a deacon, and later as a priest. Others were discovering the "love of their life" and taking steps towards marriage. One in particular was taking steps towards religious life as a sister with the "<a href="https://littlesistersofthepoor.org">Little Sisters of the Poor</a>". </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><b>1983 to 2023</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Teresita "Tessie" David and Willie Allonar married early in 1983 and are celebrating this year, in 2023, their 40th Anniversary. Your celebration last night was a joyful glimpse of "the Wedding Banquet of the Lamb of God" in Heaven. Jesus is in Himself the "Marriage between God and humanity", because He is both the Son of God and the son of Mary, wife of Joseph of Nazareth. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">We join you in celebrating the reality that your personal sacrifices willingly made out of love for one another, your family, and for others, have allowed the Most Holy Trinity to pour out life, love, and blessing on many people. We understand that God has not finished with you yet - as He has not finished with each of us - and we rejoice in this wonderful mystery. We also remember that Jesus, during his short time in public life on this Earth, enjoyed fellowship at table with all those willing to sit and share with Him, and He calls us to do the same. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><i></i></span></p><blockquote><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">"We thank You, Lord Jesus, for continuing to grace our table fellowship and family celebrations. By the grace of the Holy Spirit, may we always make room at our tables to the stranger, the lonely, the "excluded ones", and those who feel unwanted for whatever reason. Open our eyes to notice them and our hearts to reach out to them. In this way, may You be pleased to make of us your missionary disciples for our day. Come, Lord Jesus. O my Jesus, I trust in You." </span></i></span></blockquote><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Alice Yao - Sister Rosemarie Thomas of the Little Sisters of the Poor - is also celebrating her 40th Anniversary in religious life. The seminarian, now Fr. Gilles Surprenant, is celebrating as well his 40th Anniversary in the priesthood in Montreal. All those young people who came together as the original St. Kevin Filippino Choir have also found their way in life: many to marry and have children and, in time, grandchildren; others to remain single "for the Lord" and serve the community and the Church through their dedicated presence and generous service. Some, I believe, have already found their way to "the Father's House" to enjoy, by God's infinite mercy, the rewards of their labours in this life. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">We are joined in spirit and prayer by the Holy Spirit - the Lord and Giver of life - to the Heart of Jesus, the Divine Mercy, who ever brings us to his Father, who has brought us into being through the love and union of our parents. We give thanks to God for our parents, wherever they may be, who, despite their personal failings and human limitations, still received the grace to serve as instruments of the Most High, the Most Holy Trinity, in giving us life and nurturing us until we could find our own way in life, by the Grace of God.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><i></i></span></span></p><blockquote><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">"Come, Holy Spirit, and fill us anew with your divine life, love, and power, and make of us useful and effective instruments of your saving work in the world. Fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the </span><span style="color: red;">FIRE </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">of your Love."</span></i></span></blockquote><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">I offer Holy Mass in thanksgiving to God - all this week January 22nd to 28th, which is also the <a href="https://www.weekofprayer.ca">Week of Prayer for Christian Unity</a> - in gratitude to God for all of us brought together by the Lord all those years ago, and also all those who have been added to our number during the course of these 43 years.... <br /><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"></span></p><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><i>"Father in Heaven, may You be pleased to continue to bless us, </i></span><i style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">our children and grandchildren, </i><i style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">our parents, siblings, grandparents, and extended families, our brothers and sisters in religious life and in Holy Orders, and continue to make our lives fruitful in the </i><i style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">saving </i><i style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">work and mission of our Lord Jesus Christ, your beloved Son, through the working and power of the Holy Spirit." "Our Lady of Ville-Marie and of the Philippines, pray for us." "St. Joseph and St. Brother André, pray for us." "St. Kevin, pray for us." "Sainte Marguerite Bourgeois and Sainte Marguerite d'Youville, pray for us." "Saint Kateri, pray for us."</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><div style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</b></div></div><p style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="color: black;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; text-align: left;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"></center><p style="color: black; text-align: left;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"></span></div><p style="color: black;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #343434; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><div><b style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;"></span></b><p style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="FR-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"><b>© 2004-2023 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC<br />© 2004-2023 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC</b></span><span style="text-indent: 21.6pt;"> </span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">+ + + + + + + + + + + + </span></p></div></div></span></div>Fr. Gilles Surprenanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055431919615204171noreply@blogger.com0Montreal, QC, Canada45.5018869 -73.5673918999999917.191653063821157 -108.72364189999999 73.812120736178855 -38.41114189999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383267514883285822.post-2910378984958414112022-12-21T14:29:00.006-05:002022-12-21T19:59:04.791-05:00The blizzard that met us on coming out of Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, December 24th, 1965. Blessed final Advent Days and Joyful entry into Christmas 2022!<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white;"></center><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpA7klSHagNXGT6xo8kqq1CaQeCie52TG4BBRB39YeSticdgiflflv7-yTnF5tFhEIQJeB8nH6pb3S_zKDoWhETbXOvWeIdgqQgBiVC0IEj63uRgYckd0aMg43rulK6Z25psTMvliqAQCgN5H2IA2Jos5Is8sGkPwrDi614Zva5bjjoz4eW-EsfV_e/s1412/L'eglise%20a%20l'epiphanie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1412" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpA7klSHagNXGT6xo8kqq1CaQeCie52TG4BBRB39YeSticdgiflflv7-yTnF5tFhEIQJeB8nH6pb3S_zKDoWhETbXOvWeIdgqQgBiVC0IEj63uRgYckd0aMg43rulK6Z25psTMvliqAQCgN5H2IA2Jos5Is8sGkPwrDi614Zva5bjjoz4eW-EsfV_e/s320/L'eglise%20a%20l'epiphanie.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCnwB6rAXX_m7650e3fcnd8ingSQGlBSELo3_w5vofOK9K8IHacOz_WKLyZqZnu2CaA7MT_Z9xb2amD8ePYaoLgZYT6GLR0c_izcwczBhja2hqQUt7_VKnL9Vycg1EO5K_N4YyLI3Cqz34cALM84zqwNfN8PIRH8eTEqGxjywUVDvy4YUQaAmOOoY/s1412/L'%C3%89piphanie%20la%20ferme%20en%20hiver%201965%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1412" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCnwB6rAXX_m7650e3fcnd8ingSQGlBSELo3_w5vofOK9K8IHacOz_WKLyZqZnu2CaA7MT_Z9xb2amD8ePYaoLgZYT6GLR0c_izcwczBhja2hqQUt7_VKnL9Vycg1EO5K_N4YyLI3Cqz34cALM84zqwNfN8PIRH8eTEqGxjywUVDvy4YUQaAmOOoY/s320/L'%C3%89piphanie%20la%20ferme%20en%20hiver%201965%201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Yes, yes, yes... it was Christmas Eve 1965... I remember because
it was our very first Christmas on my parents new (old) dairy farm
at 45 Rang de la Cabane Ronde, L'Épiphanie QC... around 40 km from
Pius via highway 25. </span><div><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180;">It had been a mild, brown and gray December in 1965,
and like many, we went to midnight Mass in our shoes. We
participated joyfully in the fairly lengthy Midnight Mass and
stayed for the additional two Masses while most of the assembly
departed.</span><p></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">There were at the time 4 Christmas Masses: the first Mass was the
<u>Mass of </u><u>Christmas Eve</u>; then came the <u>Mass</u><u>
at Midnight</u>, which is now the <u><b>Mass during the night</b></u>,
followed by the <b><u>Mass at dawn</u></b>, which we still have;
followed in turn by what is still the <b><u>Mass during the day</u></b>.
We no longer have 4 but only 3 Christmas Masses.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">So, we participated in 3 of the 4 Masses at Midnight, which was fully musical and magnificent, prayerful and inspiring, so joyful.... and probably lasted over an hour. Most of the assembly left then. We stayed, along with a good number of people for the second Mass, the Mass at Dawn, which went for about 35 minutes. After a few minute interval, a priest offered the third Mass, the Mass during the Day, which lasted only 20 minutes or so. We received Holy Communion 3 times! </span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Then, we visited the magnificent Manger scene and "soaked up the atmosphere" as it were, admiring and allowing ourselves to be moved by the huge and magnificent central fresco of the <b><u>Epiphany</u></b> with the 3 Wise Men at the Manger in Bethlehem dominating the center of the Sanctuary... it must have been 6 meters wide and 8 to 9 meters high.... </span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">On either side of the sanctuary in what were balconies, there were two more magnificent frescoes, which if I remember correctly, depicted <b><u>Jesus' Baptism</u></b> and the <b><u>Wedding Feast at Cana</u></b>. These three Gospel moments comprise what id called the "Épiphany Mysteries" which are celebrated together in the Liturgy of the Hours and most dramatically by Christians of the Eastern Rites - Catholics and Orthodox.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Finally, we turned around to leave. </span><span style="color: #800180;">So, on emerging from the Church, content to have participated in
3 of the 4 Christmas Masses, were we ever shocked to open the
outer door of the church only to find ourselves in a blizzard,
with a foot of snow and thick falling snow driven by a strong
wind.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Most of the two miles / 3 kilometers from the church to our farm house was along
Rivière Achigan, which is narrow but deep. Very quickly Papa was
terrified he could no longer see the road; so, I asked him to stop
the car so I could go out and sit on the hood and indicate to him
when he should go more to the left by holding out that arm or to
the right by holding out that arm and with no arms to keep going
straight. He must have driven at10 or 15 mph and the cold and snow
were fierce sitting out there on the hood, but we made it. Better
to be a little cold than to land in the river! Man, what a vivid
memory!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #800180; font-size: medium;">
</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Blessed final Advent days, everybody, and peaceful, joyful,
restful entry into the Season of Christmas until the Baptism of
the</span> <span style="color: #800180;">Lord, which this year because of Christmas landing on Sunday,
falls on Monday, January 9th. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b>MERRY CHRISTMAS 2022! <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/11_aT-vSIeTwI-x9KBK9EWtnlH9DxWKP7/view?usp=sharing">PDF CARD</a> </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b>HAPPY, HEALTHY, AND HOLY NEW YEAR 2023!</b></span></p><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><div style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</b></div></div><p style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="color: black;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; text-align: left;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"></center><p style="color: black; text-align: left;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"></span></div><p style="color: black;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #343434; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><div><b style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;"></span></b><p style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="FR-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"><b>© 2004-2022 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC<br />© 2004-2022 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC</b></span><span style="text-indent: 21.6pt;"> </span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">+ + + + + + + + + + + + </span></p></div></div></span></div></div>Fr. Gilles Surprenanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055431919615204171noreply@blogger.com0Montreal, QC, Canada45.5018869 -73.5673918999999917.191653063821157 -108.72364189999999 73.812120736178855 -38.41114189999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383267514883285822.post-79879325087587812962022-04-06T09:18:00.010-04:002022-04-27T10:49:14.088-04:00Russia - Ukraine war... how ignorant and arrogant of us "westerners" to comment, draw conclusions, or go so far as to judge, without understanding Cossack history going back a millennium. Who are we to judge?<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white;"></center><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5SR27d9g3FEvxQaC8y1gBEIQ4or3GBP_5mNbLpCroaVGETr1rFg-_91A9VAEIB5BAMgmZuxGRAFMaUFaYRJUslFMdpfDv2-dH3F8xCkr0NUBExvSoCcqAnsC8FFJdUH7XdUNHifFBRGAC4sYKt_tT5p95MzPvsCaadeW0wQtqo1Oa1a9jp3zIbTp/s1800/Ukraine-Russia-war-1.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5SR27d9g3FEvxQaC8y1gBEIQ4or3GBP_5mNbLpCroaVGETr1rFg-_91A9VAEIB5BAMgmZuxGRAFMaUFaYRJUslFMdpfDv2-dH3F8xCkr0NUBExvSoCcqAnsC8FFJdUH7XdUNHifFBRGAC4sYKt_tT5p95MzPvsCaadeW0wQtqo1Oa1a9jp3zIbTp/s320/Ukraine-Russia-war-1.webp" width="320" /></a></span></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">No doubt what is happening in Ukraine with the invasion by the Russian Federation cannot be understood without reference to the enormous and constant pressure from the U.S.A. through NATO pushing right up to the borders of Russia since the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. between 1989 and 1991. I still recall in the years preceding the "end of the Soviet regime" </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; text-align: center;">the genuine good will</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; text-align: center;"> of </span><span style="color: #38761d;">Mikhail Gorbachev, at the time</span><span style="color: #38761d; text-align: center;"> President of the Soviet Union. He boldly and courageously led a "new revolution" by trying to coax his diverse people into openness towards the rest of the world.</span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">In retrospect, clearly we westerners, led by the Americans - who have never suffered from any lack of conviction about what is in their own interests - took advantage of that Russian good will in order to claw their way to the very borders of the former Soviet Union; just in case they ever became aggressive again... so the thinking goes....</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #38761d; text-align: center;">From a strictly impartial viewpoint, it could well be said that it was to be expected that the Russians would wake up - sooner or later - to the truth that American-led NATO was taking advantage of their openness and abusing it to expand NATO to their very borders. Russia extended an open hand in openness and friendship to offer a new period in world history of collaboration for the common good and the betterment of humanity. I'm ashamed to have to admit, that in following the leadership of the U.S.A., we have rejected that open hand of friendship, in effect also rejecting this offer of a new period </span><span style="color: #38761d; text-align: center;">in world history of working together in collaboration for the common good and the betterment of humanity. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">So, with that offer apparently gone, no longer valid, what are we left with? We can only understand that by looking back at the history of the region. Check it out on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Cossacks#:~:text=Cossacks%20were%20mainly%20East%20Slavs,through%20Ukraine%2C%20Russia%20and%20Belarus.">Wikipedia</a> and you will find a history of the Cossack peoples going back a millennium. The Cossacks, from our point of view, are very difficult to clearly define, or for that matter, to even begin to understand. They have been a collection of peoples with common culture known for their skill with horses and navigation, as well as military might and boldness characterized by fearlessness of personal injury or even death. They were even better organized and better educated than many of their surrounding neighbors. They were highly prized as mercenaries and allies and, understandably, feared as foes or enemies. It is reported that their total population ran over 3 million people, with 3 to 4 hundred capable men capable and ready for military service. Even this was highly developed and organized by age.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">The ravages of history - the empires originating in Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Hungary, Turkey, and others used and abused the Cossack peoples, and more dramatically, the Russian Revolution of 1917 pitted them against each other, depending on which side of the dividing lines they fell. World War II did the same thing, as did the aggressive policies of Stalin to relocate entire populations. Whenever Cossack peoples were pitted against each other, they murdered ruthlessly then just as they would previously do when pitted against foreigners or outsiders; it was all the same.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">This culture of the Cossack peoples is really quite "foreign" to our western sensibilities and ways of thinking, but there's no avoiding that history if we are to have any hope to begin to understand what is going on in Ukraine and why those actions looks as horrible as they do.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">This is a time for us to humbly admit our own failings, which are so many, before we even think of picking up a stone to throw at anyone. We need to trust in those diverse peoples and to let them "work it out". Would we not want others to allow us to do the same? </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #38761d; text-align: center;">Mikhail </span><span style="color: #38761d;">Gorbachev's open hand may no longer be there, but other Russian hands may very well be open. One thing is certain, and that is that Jesus open mind, open heart, and open hand will ever be extended towards us and all "people of good will" intent on pursuing together the common good and willing to make allowances for each other's failings and human weaknesses. Looking back is useful for understanding from where we come, but is we are to make progress, we need to look ahead, and to do it together.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;">"Father and Creator of us all, open our spirits once again to your Son Jesus." "Lord Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world, Son of God - and as the man from Nazareth - the One Risen from the dead, have mercy on us, and fill us anew with your Holy Spirit, that by your grace we may become better versions of ourselves and once again open our minds, hearts, souls, and hands to one another." </span></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;">"Our Lady of Fatima, Myriam, Mother of the Son of God as the Mother of Jesus, woman of peace, pray for us all your children." </span></blockquote><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><div style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</b></div></div><p style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="color: black;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; text-align: left;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"></center><p style="color: black; text-align: left;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"></span></div><p style="color: black;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #343434; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><div><b style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;"></span></b><p style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="FR-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><b>© 2004-2022 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC<br />© 2004-2022 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC</b></span><span style="text-indent: 21.6pt;"> </span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">+ + + + + + + + + + + + </span></p></div></div></span></div>Fr. Gilles Surprenanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055431919615204171noreply@blogger.com0Montreal, QC, Canada45.5016889 -73.56725617.191455063821152 -108.723506 73.811922736178843 -38.411006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383267514883285822.post-43294379146691445442022-04-04T21:25:00.012-04:002022-04-27T10:48:59.530-04:00The strange case of banished Mass wines now effectively outlawed in the Province of Québec since Spring of 2021<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white;"></center><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-_Gfjasnz490YEntXgW14yCIOlWa3PueiKT4XVDsY0SrGD7tP-9qUJqRAnzp-4uuxJ-i3ucEV9Q9TOvha2YK-WD_suCDwKK0zXg4CeEg63JoYZymeZa5FDFxoMSBMXt5mhJZ2jLlDi1sXU6reYGCaul-TlulefQlNXWZuYT1_RkjFwc8Whhhqr7G/s259/Body-Blood-of-Christ-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-_Gfjasnz490YEntXgW14yCIOlWa3PueiKT4XVDsY0SrGD7tP-9qUJqRAnzp-4uuxJ-i3ucEV9Q9TOvha2YK-WD_suCDwKK0zXg4CeEg63JoYZymeZa5FDFxoMSBMXt5mhJZ2jLlDi1sXU6reYGCaul-TlulefQlNXWZuYT1_RkjFwc8Whhhqr7G/s1600/Body-Blood-of-Christ-1.jpg" width="259" /></a></span></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span><br /> </span><span> </span>It is an interesting challenge to practice and live one's faith in a secular society and culture. The availability of Mass wine is a case in point. By common opinion, until World War II or, say, 1950, western societies were commonly seen and felt to be "Christian societies", the "descendants" of what was once called "Christendom", or the "merging" of the "City of God" with the "City of man", to employ St. Augustine's categories. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span> </span><span> In much of the Province of Québec, until recently, and for many decades, Mass wines employed by parish churches, shrines, and other chapels were primarily obtained, sold, and distributed by "church supply" stores such as Desmarais & Robitaille or Bertrand, Foucher, Bélanger in Montreal. The former closed its doors a decade ago. In Québec City and the eastern portions of the province it has probably been La Procure Eddlésiastique, established since 1945. There were other locally grown "shops" in other large cities in the province.</span><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span><span> </span><span> Back in the 1960's there is evidence that these stores were licensed to sell Mass wine by the then Régie des Alcools du Québec. However, mysteriously (exact information is hard to find) some time in the past half century, these stores ceased to have or maintain licenses for their distribution of Mass wines; or else the governmental agencies ceased to be interested in providing them for whatever reason. </span><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span> Then sometime in or before the Spring of 2021 there was report of an abuse in this "commerce" of wines for "religious purposes", and there was a raid by the Sureté du Québec somewhere outside of the large city centres. Here are links to coverage in French April 4, 2021 by <a href="https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/justice-et-faits-divers/2021-04-22/vente-d-alcool-sans-permis/la-police-saisit-les-reserves-de-vin-de-messe.php">La Presse</a> and April 20th, 2021 by <a href="https://presence-info.ca/article/societe/importantes-saisies-policieres-de-vin-de-messe-au-quebec/">Présence Information Religieuse</a>. <br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> </span><span> Some 8000 bottles of Mass wine were seized, while other church good stores were not touched; these apparently returned their stocks to their suppliers either in Canada or the U.S.A. or elsewhere. This number of bottles seems huge, but considering that in Québec at present there are still some 1,782 parishes, not to mention shrines and other chapels; it's no big deal. There really is not any obvious cause of scandal here.</span><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span> </span><span> So, why then, this sudden police action coming down so hard on church goods stores? Were there people purchasing "Mass wine" or "altar wine" for other uses? We know that in some religions or religious cultures, it is not the "priest" who consumes a mouthful of wine once a day at a religious service, but it may be a whole family or entire community that will consume this wine at a "family meal" or "community meal" deemed to be a religious act. It is conceivable that one or more cases of wine would be needed in such an instance, all depending on the number of participants. As a weekly occurrence, this could amount to a rather large transaction in "religious wine" annually, no doubt. I am only speculating here, but is this what actually happened to trigger the police raid on the main church shops?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> However, in my 40 years of experience as a Roman Catholic priest, even in a busy parish where there are two celebrations of the Holy Mass during the week and up to four on Sunday, it is highly unlikely that a whole bottle of Mass wine would be used up each week. So, we're not talking about a huge wine bill here, and not much room for abuse either. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> </span>There were a few years some 20 years or more ago when in one parish we did offer the assembly Holy Communion under "both kinds", that is, to receive the wafer of bread - the Body of Christ - and a sip of the wine - the Blood of Christ. Very few parishes have ever done this, in the R. C. Church, and none that I know of still do it. However, even under these conditions, not more than a bottle and a half of wine, or at the very most two bottles, was used per week with an attendance of 100 people on weekdays and 1,500 on weekends. Most people passed by the chalice or would hold out their host for the Eucharisti Minister to dip it in the Blood of Christ and then deposit it on their tongue. People are content to receive Jesus in the Host alone. Jesus comes to them "whole and undivided" in his Risen Body and Blood. He is sufficient. </span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> Eastern Rite and Orthodox Churches do give Holy Communion under both kinds, but the priests usually dip the consecrated bread in the consecrated wine before depositing it in the open mouth of the communicant. So, yes, they probably use a little more wine, but still, we're not talking about industrial quantities here. Nothing to cause scandal of any kind. </span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> What about employing those wines for private use? One priest as spokesman for the Québec bishops was quoted in one of the above articles as saying that at his ordination some relatives teased him, saying that now he was going to paid to drink wine. So, one day, he brought home a bottle of Mass wine for them to taste. They never bothered him that way ever again. The point is that Mass wine does not draw attention to itself. A true Mass wine is quite forgettable as a table wine, but it eminently serves its purpose to refer one to Christ. </span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> The question remains unanswered, then, why the Québec government unleashed the police services to seize the stocks of Mass wine in a number of church goods stores without publishing then or later any proof that these good will suppliers sold wine intended solely for religious purposes to individuals or groups who were not authorized to purchase them. In other words, where is the proof that huge quantities of Mass wine were sold to people who only intended to purchase them for "secular" or "private" consumption?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> If there was and is proof of such abuse or abuses, then why have the culprits not been published or brought to court or fined? All that seems to hang in the air is that on the basis apparently of some unknown complaint, the authorities have seized Mass wine stocks from honest (until proven otherwise) church supply shop keepers, who for the most part are probably just managing to survive. One such shop which enjoyed an excellent reputation for decades, Desmarais & Robitaille, closed up shop a decade or so ago. These shops aren't able to make anyone wealthy; especially not now with most churches being poorly attended.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> I've been shown a document that indicates these shops used to have licenses from the Régie des Alcools du Québec half a century or more ago. What happened since then to cause them to no longer have such a licence? </span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> Local Church authorities have done their best to cooperate with the government to find a workable solution. What has that solution been? They have published a list of 7 organic wines recommended to pass the canonical requirements of the Church for Mass wine. All of the Mass wines previously distributed from Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, or California or anywhere else have all been banned. The SAQ apparently has no intention or interest to import, warehouse, or distribute those wines specifically grown, bottled, and distributed for the celebration of Holy Mass. Nor does the government seem inclined to renew licences for the sale of Mass wines to the church goods shops. </span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> What a strange situation. Who can understand it? You can find both wines and beers in the grungiest "dépanneur" store, no problem; even wines that are barely palatable. Even gas stations with convenience stores attached can sell both wines and beers, not to mention those toxic "caffein" drinks that have reportedly caused accidents and deaths. But can we have access once again to our familiar and well appreciated Mass wines? No way!</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> Perhaps priests with a "more refined palate" than I have may actually prefer one or more of those 7 wines on the new "Mass wine list" distributed on behalf of the SAQ. I have tried 4 of the 7 and I am very disappointed. They are no doubt fine wines for the table, to accompany foods of various kinds for various occasions, but they have far "too much character" to be appropriate for the altar in my view. When I celebrate Holy Mass, the proper Mass wine does not attract attention to itself, but is rather subtle and refers itself rather to the One who makes use of it to convey Himself to us, namely, Jesus Christ.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> The wines we now have no choice but to use draw far too much attention to themselves, causing thoughts to arise such as "Where is the cheese to go with this?" or "Where is the main course called for by this wine?" Perhaps the priests who will only know these wines won't mind, because they won't know that they are missing. Those of us who were befriended by the "Mont des Oliviers" from Portugal or the various Cribari offerings from California, or the La Salle Vineyards know what we had, what we lost, and what we regret to think we will never be able to use again. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> I understand full well that today, when the world and we in it continue to suffer in solidarity with the devastated people of Ukraine and the people of Russia who may be as troubled as we are; that in this world, the question I raise here about Mass wines is such a small and apparently insignificant matter, perhaps some might even think it scandalous to raise it. However, when the dust of war settles, life must go on. Is it not one of our rights in societies where the citizens enjoy fundamental human rights, that we can express our thoughts and feelings about not only the great but also the little concerns of life? </span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> Since the SAQ prides itself on importing good wines from all over the world, what then could this sudden police action be really about? Could it be the latest nail in the coffin being designed by a secular state for any remaining vestiges of faith in the society and culture it so obsessively wants to be entirely and only secular? First, religious school commissions had to be dismantled - requiring nothing less than an amendment to the BNA (British North America) Act of the British Parliament, which founded Canada March 29, 1867. Then, crucifixes had to be removed from institutions under the responsibility of the government. A year ago, the elimination of all "Mass / altar / sacramental wines" from the province, treating the shop keepers as borderline criminals by seizing their stocks instead of requiring them to return them and get reimbursed. </span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> What will be next, I wonder? If our civil state goes so far as to imitate the way of the U.S.A., we may not learn from their mistakes. Once they eliminated God and the Bible from the public school system, the vacuum they created was filled by guns, knives, drugs, and mass shootings. They still haven't learned their lesson from this. Is it likely that we will? <br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><div style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</b></div></div><p style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="color: black;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; text-align: left;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"></center><p style="color: black; text-align: left;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"></span></div><p style="color: black;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #343434; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><div><b style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;"></span></b><p style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="FR-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><b>© 2004-2022 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC<br />© 2004-2022 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC</b></span><span style="text-indent: 21.6pt;"> </span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">+ + + + + + + + + + + + </span></p></div></div></span></div>Fr. Gilles Surprenanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055431919615204171noreply@blogger.com0Montreal, QC, Canada45.5016889 -73.56725617.191455063821152 -108.723506 73.811922736178843 -38.411006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383267514883285822.post-28352442841286204852022-03-22T11:47:00.002-04:002022-04-27T10:48:45.196-04:00REFLECTION - Making the End Glorious<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white;"></center><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPT8PKDcaDccSuFdt6NHrZ0BjhqRpsq35EE7bzaj6owxXulfxRhSSMW6S1WtdBabOkQm5Fo1s5fV3XaycxG7LXEGCLZLDCOTjDItKLR4Qk17L3TZ8Uj7IBv0TJPVzc16AwSGS8eAduORWoSgZnWAdDY0n2QV0I4n4Te3SGh1UOSBIPZoOEYA0o4gt7/s2560/20181112_193353.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2560" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPT8PKDcaDccSuFdt6NHrZ0BjhqRpsq35EE7bzaj6owxXulfxRhSSMW6S1WtdBabOkQm5Fo1s5fV3XaycxG7LXEGCLZLDCOTjDItKLR4Qk17L3TZ8Uj7IBv0TJPVzc16AwSGS8eAduORWoSgZnWAdDY0n2QV0I4n4Te3SGh1UOSBIPZoOEYA0o4gt7/s320/20181112_193353.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></span></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><b><br />A Reflection by a priest addressed to his brother priests</b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><i>Monday, October - Monday, 29th Week in Ordinary Time - even years<br />Submitted by an as yet unidentified priest of Montreal in October 2014</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><b>Ephesians 2:1-10<span> </span></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;"></span></b></span></p><blockquote><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. 3 All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.</span></span></blockquote><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;"></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span><b>Psalm 100</b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. <br />2 Worship the Lord with gladness;<br /> come into his presence with singing.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">3 Know that the Lord is God.<br /> It is he that made us, and we are his;<br /> we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,<br /> and his courts with praise.<br /> Give thanks to him, bless his name.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">5 For the Lord is good;<br /> his steadfast love endures forever,<br /> and his faithfulness to all generations.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>Luke 12:13-21</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: xx-small;"></span></b></p><blockquote style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” 16 Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17 And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”</span></blockquote><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;"></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">+ + + + + + + </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">First, a little contemporary parable taken from "Stories and Parables for Preachers and Teachers" by Paul Wharton. Paulist Press, 1986, pages 70-71.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><b>Making the End Glorious</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span> </span><span> </span>A wise old woman happened to be a pianist who had taught many students over the years. Invariably, when she prepared her pupils for recitals, she would have them practice the conclusions over and over again. Invariably the students would begin to grumble because of the constant repetition of the last few measures of music. When one would voice their complaints, the wise teacher would always answer, "You can make a mistake in the beginning or you can make a mistake in the middle. The people will forget it if you make the ending glorious."</span></p><div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><b>REFLECTION</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Dear Bishop Tom, Dear Brother Priests, Each year we come to this retreat 1 year older, and hopefully somewhat wiser as well, recognizing, realizing that truly it is by grace that we have been saved.</span></li><li><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Many of us are now in the last 1/3 of our human lives.</span></li><li><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">And one thing that I'm more aware of that I'm giving a lot more thought to is the question of LEGACY.</span></li><li><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Just last week, the headline in the sports section of the Gazette was this: "Grey Cups capped Cavillo's LEGACY."</span></li><li><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">In the news, the legacy issue also surfaces regularly. In the political arena, commentators on CNN often speculate about the nature of Obama's LEGACY after 2 terms in office as U.S. Pesident; what will he be remembered for? Will it be a positive or negative legacy?</span></li><li><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">What will <u><b>I be remembered for</b></u> after almost 25 years as a priest? What will <u><b>we priests</b></u> be remembered for?</span></li><li><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">What will be our <b><u>LEGACY</u> </b>to the Church, to the People of God?</span></li><li><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">This short story (above) is a kind of parable that contains a message, it's possibly even a principle that can apply to all of us.</span></li><li><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">The story title is: <u><b>Making the End Glorious</b></u>.</span></li><li><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Read the story (again) - "Making the End Glorious" - (as applicable) for a piano recital, for a football player, a politician, for the last 1/3 of our lives as priests.</span></li><li><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Making our last years of <b><u>preaching</u> </b>glorious, with renewed insights, ardor, energy, purpose; because the Holy Spirit follows our Preaching, entering the hearts of those who hear us after we've preached.</span></li><li><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Making our last years of <b><u>teaching</u> </b>glorious, with insights into life and living that give meaning and direction to those around us who have none.</span></li><li><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Making our last years of <u><b>dedicating ourselves</b></u> glorious by loving and serving the People of God around us, especially those who are troublesome, who suffer, and those in need.</span></li><li><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Making our last years of <b><u>praying</u> </b>glorious by striving to become more open to the surprising ways the Holy Spirit may want to speak to us - through Sacred Scripture, through the creation around us, through the actions and words of God's People around us, through our public and private prayer.</span></li><li><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Making our last years of <u><b>holiness</b></u> glorious by recongnizing that everything we do, and say, all actions, words, even our everyday demeanor, are influencing, shaping, the People of God, and their perception of Him.</span></li></ol><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Making the end glorious will, as the Gospel suggests, make us "rich toward God". Amen.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #800180; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><ol><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #800180; font-size: medium;">For the Church, the People of God, and it's leaders, that all of us may proclaim Jesus as Lord by all we say and do.</span></li><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #800180; font-size: medium;">For those who lead us at the level of government, that they might build up the common good, and provide help and the basics of life to the poor and those most in need.</span></li><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #800180; font-size: medium;">For those now suffering from ebola and all who died from it, for those working in West Africa to arrest this epidemic.</span></li><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #800180; font-size: medium;">For those now suffering from Covid-19 and all who died from it, for those working all over the world - especially in those still mostly deprived of vaccines - to arrest this epidemic and to treat those affected by it: that they may accept the help given them by God the Creator of us all.</span></li><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #800180; font-size: medium;">For our families and friends, our parish communities, we pray....</span></li><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #800180; font-size: medium;">For our own personal needs and prayers....</span></li></ol><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">Submitted in October, 2014 by an as yet unidentified priest of Montreal. </span></div><p></p><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="color: black; text-align: left;"></p><p style="color: black;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</b></div></div><p style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="color: black;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; text-align: left;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"></center><p style="color: black; text-align: left;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"></span></div><p style="color: black;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #343434; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><div style="color: #343434;"><b style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;"></span></b><p style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="FR-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><b>© 2004-2022 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC<br />© 2004-2022 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC</b></span><span style="text-indent: 21.6pt;"> </span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">+ + + + + + + + + + + + </span></p></div></span></div>Fr. Gilles Surprenanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055431919615204171noreply@blogger.com0Montreal, QC, Canada45.5016889 -73.56725617.191455063821152 -108.723506 73.811922736178843 -38.411006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383267514883285822.post-48469566186240325032021-09-18T07:50:00.002-04:002021-09-18T07:50:49.254-04:00The Kingdom of God is here, now, and the Holy Spirit infuses the divine life into us, enabling us to live as children of God among other flawed human beings... loving them, not waiting for others to love us.... <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white;"></center><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: large; text-align: center;">"Peace and union are the most necessary of all things for people who live in common, and nothing serves so well to establish and maintain these as the forbearing charity whereby we put up with one another's defects." - St. Robert Bellarmine </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Jn1jgCSmK1yvWYetCgpNCJF-5oZnogaL2921OPDQPatmm0Wp8K9sETdr2kXkjm3I2yQFjTf4jeqv0qk-HO09fL-EtKx4zWMJskCDqEFza90m4u4_EnTanLaXpkWfhQ_2Fos6n4OangM/s246/Jesus-sinners-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="246" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Jn1jgCSmK1yvWYetCgpNCJF-5oZnogaL2921OPDQPatmm0Wp8K9sETdr2kXkjm3I2yQFjTf4jeqv0qk-HO09fL-EtKx4zWMJskCDqEFza90m4u4_EnTanLaXpkWfhQ_2Fos6n4OangM/s0/Jesus-sinners-9.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><div style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</b></div></div><p style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="color: black;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; text-align: left;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"></center><p style="color: black; text-align: left;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"></span></div><p style="color: black;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #343434; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><div><b style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;"></span></b><p style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="FR-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"><b>© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC<br />© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC</b></span><span style="text-indent: 21.6pt;"> </span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">+ + + + + + + + + + + + </span></p></div></div></span></div>Fr. Gilles Surprenanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055431919615204171noreply@blogger.com0Montreal, QC, Canada45.5016889 -73.56725617.191455063821152 -108.723506 73.811922736178843 -38.411006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383267514883285822.post-29954235323489670232021-07-16T21:34:00.003-04:002022-04-27T10:48:04.551-04:00Our Lady of Mount Carmel - July 16th, 2021 - A sweet and encouraging "face" of Mary, Mother of Jesus Son of God, Mother of the Church and Help of Christians / Notre-Dame du Mont Carmel - une ancienne tradition et dévotion<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white;"></center><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span face="roboto, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 700; text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/our-lady-of-mount-carmel"></a></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdTPt6PEH8G-aco1kUNuTpvYyHPOZFzQdQPBqbpVS-gqGYE5n2Yv2k8Q-fTd5dVNYL1a9MRX8DU7AXMubHE2gUNoNNkoYgt-Ii89QEh_0qVMPX7BttXc9WSw-7lWhVF7OTkBy5hyrpbg/s233/O.L.-of-Mt-Carmel-5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdTPt6PEH8G-aco1kUNuTpvYyHPOZFzQdQPBqbpVS-gqGYE5n2Yv2k8Q-fTd5dVNYL1a9MRX8DU7AXMubHE2gUNoNNkoYgt-Ii89QEh_0qVMPX7BttXc9WSw-7lWhVF7OTkBy5hyrpbg/s0/O.L.-of-Mt-Carmel-5.jpg" /></a></span></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><br />The Story of Our Lady of Mount Carmel </span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://www.wordonfire.org/resources/blog/5-things-to-know-about-our-lady-of-mt-carmel-and-the-brown-scapular/19770/"><b>5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT OUR LADY OF MT. CARMEL <br />AND THE BROWN SCAPULAR</b></a> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/fr/pape/news/2018-07/tweet-pape-fete-notre-dame-carmel-histoire.html"><b>Notre Dame du Mont Carmel, une ancienne dévotion</b></a> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://aleteia.org/2021/07/16/10-ways-to-bring-carmelite-spirituality-into-your-daily-life/"></a></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZBrcQhjxlU6MqWmjYCNB4z-GY7XdpnXOf-2KwXmJmzmc7i8L6xvkUTzFYmd8dyAw-_eGYeBrBvkWYUtIA2e6LJf65-jFWizJS375EYQCHveojtdj1T7ajit1Vjcm7U3_3E2mLq9yvMM/s307/Brown-Scapular-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="164" data-original-width="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZBrcQhjxlU6MqWmjYCNB4z-GY7XdpnXOf-2KwXmJmzmc7i8L6xvkUTzFYmd8dyAw-_eGYeBrBvkWYUtIA2e6LJf65-jFWizJS375EYQCHveojtdj1T7ajit1Vjcm7U3_3E2mLq9yvMM/s0/Brown-Scapular-1.jpg" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;"><b><br />10 Ways to bring Carmelite spirituality into your daily life <br /></b></span><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Theresa Civantos Barber - published on 07/16/21 </i><br /></span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>Honor Our Lady of Mount Carmel with these meaningful ways <br />to bring Carmelite spirituality into your day. <a href="https://aleteia.org/slideshow/slideshow-10-ways-to-bring-carmelite-spirituality-into-your-daily-life/">SLIDE SHOW</a> </b></span><p></p><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><div style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</b></div></div><p style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="color: black;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; text-align: left;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"></center><p style="color: black; text-align: left;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"></span></div><p style="color: black;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #343434; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><div><b style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;"></span></b><p style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="FR-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><b>© 2004-2022 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC<br />© 2004-2022 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC</b></span><span style="text-indent: 21.6pt;"> </span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">+ + + + + + + + + + + + </span></p></div></div></span></div>Fr. Gilles Surprenanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055431919615204171noreply@blogger.com0Montreal, QC, Canada45.5016889 -73.56725617.191455063821152 -108.723506 73.811922736178843 -38.411006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383267514883285822.post-88255890161309182812021-05-11T09:06:00.002-04:002022-04-27T10:47:08.662-04:00Technology confusion... we're experiencing a new TOWER OF BABEL....<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white;"></center><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBmZXTjlIRlmd2zTvIr5ClQMIoEPX-sFzId0TcO11-dOF-UIbcDOMEAgo4sM4KcYb1_bsMBE4kjt4u_fKzLUWVEJLSU_5qTBdjiNdmWwmFGlbyBOqgWsUnjWbmLQdg9LvHNLJNvn_xUI/s388/Lk_24.35_Pat_Onofrio_830702s.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="337" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBmZXTjlIRlmd2zTvIr5ClQMIoEPX-sFzId0TcO11-dOF-UIbcDOMEAgo4sM4KcYb1_bsMBE4kjt4u_fKzLUWVEJLSU_5qTBdjiNdmWwmFGlbyBOqgWsUnjWbmLQdg9LvHNLJNvn_xUI/s320/Lk_24.35_Pat_Onofrio_830702s.jpg" /></a></span></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><br />Trying to keep in touch with family and friends is becoming an increasingly unnerving task these days with the plethora of modes of communication preferred by this one or that one. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Let me see now, shall I reach him or her by email or skype or Facebook or Twitter or Messenger or mobile or text or land line or..... Not to mention the address books generated by an ever growing number of tools of communication.... </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">It's also disconcerting to receive communication from this plethora of means and tools.... It's enough to want to leave all technology behind and retire to the woods or a farm somewhere far away where the only communication would be face to face; as in the encounter Jesus had with the two disciples walking dejectedly away from Jerusalem towards Emmaus.... </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><div style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</b></div></div><p style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="color: black;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; text-align: left;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"></center><p style="color: black; text-align: left;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"></span></div><p style="color: black;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #343434; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><div><b style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;"></span></b><p style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="FR-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><b>© 2004-2022 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC<br />© 2004-2022 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC</b></span><span style="text-indent: 21.6pt;"> </span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">+ + + + + + + + + + + + </span></p></div></div></span></div>Fr. Gilles Surprenanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055431919615204171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383267514883285822.post-86119249708339468202021-03-25T22:57:00.007-04:002022-04-27T10:46:44.845-04:00We are all eager to say "Yes!" to life, but to say "Yes!" to God? That is quite another matter, isn't it? Or is it? <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></center><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgelRdN0dF4wxNhawOMsSEg-d__sAyegpNGXfZOzvb_b3zGY38uh5PKXTz0Ez13oE7M4r3UAZxzQrqLXwErN4NL8zU3Yoc010st1rlEKcTqfRJDGcPLHI3qM_mtGUZ-ufZiPMx_f9LiAyk/s225/Annunciation-5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgelRdN0dF4wxNhawOMsSEg-d__sAyegpNGXfZOzvb_b3zGY38uh5PKXTz0Ez13oE7M4r3UAZxzQrqLXwErN4NL8zU3Yoc010st1rlEKcTqfRJDGcPLHI3qM_mtGUZ-ufZiPMx_f9LiAyk/s0/Annunciation-5.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;"><br />Here we are, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.... Today some 2,023 years ago the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Myriam of Nazareth to announce to her God's proposal that she be the mother of his Divine Son and name Him Jesus. She was only 14, maybe 15 years old! What a receptive soul this young woman had to be able to endure such a visitation and so quickly to be able to say a whole hearted "Yes!" to the Creator of the Universe....</span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">I've been glad to celebrate this feast in honor of Mary and the Lord Jesus.... It is always a privilege to offer Holy Mass, the Memorial of Jesus' offering of Himself to his Father on our behalf, by which He opened up the possibility for every human being to not only live life fully, but ever more wonderfully, to participate in the divine life of God the Holy Three in One! It is truly awesome that our Creator God, a single Divine Being, is so full of life as to actually be Three Divine Persons in an Eternal Communion of Love, the Divine Family, which is the divine paradigm which served as the pattern for our creation, we human beings, created in God's image and likeness.... See <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+1&version=NRSVCE">Genesis chapters 1 to 3</a>.... </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">We can't really understand all this about God's nature... we'd have to BE GOD to really understand... but Jesus did reveal enough about his Father and Himself and the Holy Spirit for us to at least know about the Most Holy Trinity and, more importantly, that They very much want us to enter into a life-giving personal relationship with Them! </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Please feel free to check out the various Blogger pages connected to this site and you may find any number of treasures to stimulate your imagination, feed your mind, nourish your soul, and shed some light on the path which leads to our Source and our Destiny.... </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">Peace to you and your family despite these trying Covid-19 Pandemic days and nights....</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">P.S.: You may want to check out - <a href="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/worlds-deadliest-pandemics-by-population-impact/">"Visualized: the World’s Deadliest Pandemics by Population Impact"</a> </span></p><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><div style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><div style="color: #343434;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">In this JOURNAL I will share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and priest to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</b></div></div><p style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Dans ce JOURNAL je</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> partage</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et pour faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></span></p><p style="color: black;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; text-align: left;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"></center><p style="color: black; text-align: left;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"></span></div><p style="color: black;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #343434; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><div><b style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: inherit;"></span></b><p style="color: #333333; text-align: start;"></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="FR-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><b>© 2004-2022 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC<br />© 2004-2022 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC</b></span><span style="text-indent: 21.6pt;"> </span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">+ + + + + + + + + + + + </span></p></div></div></span></div>Fr. Gilles Surprenanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055431919615204171noreply@blogger.com0Montreal, QC, Canada45.5016889 -73.56725617.191455063821152 -108.723506 73.811922736178843 -38.411006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383267514883285822.post-18798138260171736812021-02-21T20:04:00.009-05:002022-04-27T10:45:08.628-04:00COURTESY on cross country ski trails is for safety but also for everyone's enjoyment<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><p style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;">Mon objectif avec ce JOURNAL est </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;">de partager</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres personnes qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et aussi, directement ou indirectement, faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"></center><p style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><div style="color: #343434; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">My purpose in this JOURNAL is to share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and as a priest and to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and also, directly or indirectly, to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"></span></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><div><b><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2Np6K0wTnIQhA6MdVsH09ScPQ8IJdF0y-8a9plVvK95OemXnsUBC119uAuJXdHuVr5qkD7-2nb-kxPSXwCwy97-4owj_EmGkpBSdTGrA8iA86d5ju6q4q-rnyrU6qavVROcaADR1mTs/s275/cross-country-skiing-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2Np6K0wTnIQhA6MdVsH09ScPQ8IJdF0y-8a9plVvK95OemXnsUBC119uAuJXdHuVr5qkD7-2nb-kxPSXwCwy97-4owj_EmGkpBSdTGrA8iA86d5ju6q4q-rnyrU6qavVROcaADR1mTs/s0/cross-country-skiing-3.jpg" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b><br />COURTESY on cross country ski trails </b></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">We don't find too many signs to teach new skiers. It's basically up to experienced skiers to pass on this information to help limit conflicts, accidents, and injuries, but also to enhanve enjoyment by all. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">(1) Follow the signs so as to go in the right direction on one-way trails. Going the wrong way blocks the left tracks which is for passing. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">(2) Some parts of trails may be 2-way, but following the signs you can't go wrong. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">(3) If you need to stop, side step off the tracks to allow other skiers to go by. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">(4) Be careful with your ski poles so you don't injure other skiers. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">(5) When skiing "double" - side by side - with family or friends, watch for skiers coming from behind who may need the left tracks in order to pass. Move to the right side track to allow them to pass. </span></span></p><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">That's mostly it. It's not rocket science. The point is to help avoid injuries and to increase the enjoyment by all, new skiers beginning to learn, intermediate experienced skiers, and elite rapid skiers. ENJOY! </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.85px; white-space: normal;"><div style="font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><div style="color: #343434; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">My purpose in this JOURNAL is to share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and as a priest and to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and also, directly or indirectly, to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"></span></p></div><div style="color: #343434; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="background-color: transparent;">----------------------------------------------------------------</b></span></div><p style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;">Mon objectif avec ce JOURNAL est </span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;">de partager</span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres personnes qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et aussi, directement ou indirectement, faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: 14.85px;"></center><p style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"></span></div><div style="color: #343434; font-size: 14.85px;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></div><div style="color: #343434; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"></span></b><p style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;"></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="FR-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><b>© 2004-2022 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC<br />© 2004-2022 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC</b></span><span style="text-indent: 21.6pt;"> </span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">+ + + + + + + + + + + + </span></p></div></div></span></div></div>Fr. Gilles Surprenanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055431919615204171noreply@blogger.com0Montreal, QC, Canada45.5016889 -73.56725617.191455063821152 -108.723506 73.811922736178843 -38.411006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383267514883285822.post-5279506151538200132020-12-01T20:47:00.010-05:002021-03-25T22:23:12.688-04:00The Least Of These: A Christmas Story (2018) & Christmas Oranges (2012) - 2 inspiring Advent \ Christmas movies<p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;">Mon objectif avec ce JOURNAL est </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;">de partager</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres personnes qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et aussi, directement ou indirectement, faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"></center><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><div style="color: #343434; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">My purpose in this JOURNAL is to share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and as a priest and to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and also, directly or indirectly, to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> <span style="color: #800180;">Here we are in Advent week 1, Tuesday night. Check out this amazing family movie about ordinary people going through hard times and yet shining with the most radiant human qualities you can imagine.</span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #800180;"> Here they are living in a car....</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEvG0P7Y4r_N4VtEgbc8e4Nk-Zlntpq8MqcX15IotH3A6RTVAoA7T-DnYeYnnoPShQe5Xi2LgT7aQdYBnbHwnVTykYgb0x3kN9eQ9XIoCg7FrC12FYoLEXUeSmw8fdk3VpO-bpAfmRWU/s851/Least-of-these-1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEvG0P7Y4r_N4VtEgbc8e4Nk-Zlntpq8MqcX15IotH3A6RTVAoA7T-DnYeYnnoPShQe5Xi2LgT7aQdYBnbHwnVTykYgb0x3kN9eQ9XIoCg7FrC12FYoLEXUeSmw8fdk3VpO-bpAfmRWU/s320/Least-of-these-1.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #800180;">Don't be fooled by one of the opening scenes showing a chat between a 7-year old girl and a man in a red suit presenting himself in a diner as Santa Claus. This is a story about redemption, faith in Jesus, as well as the "Christmas spirit". </span><p></p><p><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6mqg1tDPtE"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutH67hh-OUTGJLjjyG1OUu_LMj2FGhUrEqRKBfRiQ3f7euXKez0rVLS9OEFErv8pXkoyHaeBmBYn2dLxdivzNOZD9Mnl3EIrtCFjU9i1yp1ZzY_1g1MkEZuJVVz5V_wejQlRxquk8yOI/s1299/Least-of-these-2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="1299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutH67hh-OUTGJLjjyG1OUu_LMj2FGhUrEqRKBfRiQ3f7euXKez0rVLS9OEFErv8pXkoyHaeBmBYn2dLxdivzNOZD9Mnl3EIrtCFjU9i1yp1ZzY_1g1MkEZuJVVz5V_wejQlRxquk8yOI/s320/Least-of-these-2.png" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br /><span style="color: #800180;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6mqg1tDPtE">The Least Of These: A Christmas Story</a></span></b><span style="color: #800180;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6mqg1tDPtE"> (2018)</a> | Full Movie | Tayla Lynn | G. Michael Nicolosi - 611,323 views Mar 5, 2020</span><p></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">There are a number of beautiful, ordinary, very real family prayer moments that are so transparent as to cut one to the heart.... This film was truly inspired by the grace of God.... The prayers in real bedrooms with real beds are no less poignant, honest, and true than when they were prayed in the abandoned car....</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wSOzkh66_NGtOTFJuyTJ2_HbsEsAWUF4gvx4aynvS_Nc5iJ1NPjpNFDsmtDyFZXtgnKNiA2sH4thavZI371LUbAoU3V8_FOT2S7CR2cNs4Sd4iUfOeEegubOkEMTHfs6qoAl3h1kjKE/s1280/Least-of-these-3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wSOzkh66_NGtOTFJuyTJ2_HbsEsAWUF4gvx4aynvS_Nc5iJ1NPjpNFDsmtDyFZXtgnKNiA2sH4thavZI371LUbAoU3V8_FOT2S7CR2cNs4Sd4iUfOeEegubOkEMTHfs6qoAl3h1kjKE/s320/Least-of-these-3.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="color: #800180;">How amazing is it for a family that has not "had Christmas" for some years to suddenly experience the full joy of Christmas through the kindness of strangers who have become friends.... </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pbhV1MZsBhCN04fy9as4u4_tc5qYCCmYWIfKWx46VKi5FrO8kxl8Z9mrQJjziJMpbzM5Ce00C7ZbKjGiOTIcPtwYHLb2zlDCyB_G5M1bzqvAgQhwttqwgJzEMMkwB9-fJpawVpJiEgg/s1262/Least-of-these-4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="1262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pbhV1MZsBhCN04fy9as4u4_tc5qYCCmYWIfKWx46VKi5FrO8kxl8Z9mrQJjziJMpbzM5Ce00C7ZbKjGiOTIcPtwYHLb2zlDCyB_G5M1bzqvAgQhwttqwgJzEMMkwB9-fJpawVpJiEgg/s320/Least-of-these-4.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="color: #800180;">Some times it takes one who used to live in an abandoned car to see those who are now living on the street, who are otherwise invisible to everyone else in our society.... </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVogfH5nPzeQrp-3oBpXRldiGpAMoJ2L7rlnoFQ43B08RapadnKyCeNVMXYlzV_xg5QjYV3uzhkyU8XqgPbuSNzvtcwS-nS_iKU52awzov4AHAJJGSA4NMaFWOciFwpCbL9R1LHRcbVQ/s1276/Least-of-these-5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="1276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVogfH5nPzeQrp-3oBpXRldiGpAMoJ2L7rlnoFQ43B08RapadnKyCeNVMXYlzV_xg5QjYV3uzhkyU8XqgPbuSNzvtcwS-nS_iKU52awzov4AHAJJGSA4NMaFWOciFwpCbL9R1LHRcbVQ/s320/Least-of-these-5.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="color: #800180;">Here is another story from long ago that is similar but very different, probably inspired by a true story, this time about orphans and those who care or don't much care about them... and how even in these humble settings the deepest and most awesome human qualities spring up in the most unlikely of places, of hearts.... </span></p><p><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izx1EmSaf1U">Christmas Oranges (2012)</a></b> <span style="color: #ffa400;">| Full Movies | Edward Herrmann | Nancy Stafford | Bailee Johnson 447,694 views Mar 5, 2020</span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><div style="color: #343434; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">My purpose in this JOURNAL is to share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and as a priest and to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and also, directly or indirectly, to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"></span></p></div><div style="color: #343434; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="background-color: transparent;">----------------------------------------------------------------</b></span></div><p style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;">Mon objectif avec ce JOURNAL est </span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;">de partager</span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres personnes qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et aussi, directement ou indirectement, faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: 14.85px;"></center><p style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"></span></div><div style="color: #343434; font-size: 14.85px;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></div><div style="color: #343434; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"></span></b><p style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;"></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="FR-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><b>© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC<br />© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC</b></span><span style="text-indent: 21.6pt;"> </span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">+ + + + + + + + + + + + </span></p></div></div>Fr. Gilles Surprenanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055431919615204171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383267514883285822.post-11934432668433148612020-11-23T14:13:00.013-05:002021-03-25T22:22:59.799-04:00Launch of a new JOURNAL - Mon nouveau JOURNAL<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;">Mon objectif avec ce JOURNAL est </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;">de partager</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres personnes qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et aussi, directement ou indirectement, faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"></center><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><div style="color: #343434; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">My purpose in this JOURNAL is to share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and as a priest and to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and also, directly or indirectly, to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">TIME STAMP OF MY DIGITAL "FOOTPRINT" ON THE WEB </span></b></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="https://fathergilles.blogspot.com"></a></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://mikaspace.net/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="715" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKqn2kVDBxEB6R4CAG_ZO89PzHshJKsCRx4mOozQYfqkEdLaE8eQI60eiDd-aQyxMFEt1w4oB7208MFBMBKkFFCkaxOLGrKrSMwU58LtZLP0DKPY9oSq6g2dp2rovzcBrOIwOw-A6TeU/s320/ride-the-wave-Marica2.gif" width="320" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #38761d;"><b><br /><a href="https://fathergilles.blogspot.com">ORIGINAL BLOG</a></b> - Successive seasons bring welcome change. <b>June 9th, 2004</b> I was inspired and encouraged by my friend, young priest Fr. Thomas (Tom) Dowd to go ahead and launch my very own blog - <b>"In the Breaking of the Bread"</b>. It was neither in my temperament nor in my pastoral plans to make daily or even more frequent posts, but when interesting or pressing issues might arise as a tool for speaking to them on behalf of any who may wish to read me. </span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>HOMILIES </b>- I first recorded some of my homilies on audio cassettes in 1991-1992 while pastoring the faith community of Saint Aloysius Parish in Montreal. Then <b>May 22-23, 2004</b> I recorded on equipment in the sound system two homilies on Ascension Saturday and Sunday at Saint Thomas à Becket Parish. Then upon my return from the 4-month Hesburgh mini-sabbatical at CTU in Chicago, I recorded with a digital voice recorder my homilies on a more regular basis; beginning <b>January 16th, 2005</b>. </span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b>HOMÉLIES </b>- Dès mon arrivée en la Paroisse bilingue Saint-Luc à Dollard-des-Ormeaux, j'ai commencé à enregistrer aussi mes homélies en français à partir du <b>24 septembre, 2006</b>. </span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://lafractiondupain.blogspot.com">BLOGUE</a> </b>- J'ai aussitôt enchainé en lançant le <b>8 janvier, 2007</b> un blogue en français: "À la fraction du pain". Ces deux blogues, en français et en anglais, furent fort profitable pour publier nos progrès durant notre voyage en Nouvelle-Zélande et en Australie pour les JMJ 2008 à Sydney, Australie. </span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="https://1drv.ms/b/s!Amyv6OjUkKMfiXxYlXTi14QqjBwE?e=41FRMz" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="776" data-original-width="673" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOXINiL7Zc4JxzNWnXgSyvVuD2g9yqJ1oLvCxEOBoni3mJtjBFtGFT5xOjJ9eUvayq9v81f20eZ67aEOwzARXyoNZcMGqSGEqTA_WXKN6sEFM639VfrjFZYzavxr5AR_qK-fM9_vMYVCk/s320/Lk_24.35_Pat_Onofrio_830702.jpg" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://fathergilles.net">ORIGINAL WEBSITE</a></b> - In the ebbing days of <b>December, 2006</b> I consulted with Marcus Arts of Saint Thomas à Becket Parish and began developing a new website in order to publish my homilies as well as other files and documents. I published my first homilies on <b>January 7th, 2007</b> and began posting and publishing other files and documents <b>January 22nd, 2007</b>. </span><p></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="http://fathergilles.net">PREMIER SITE WEB</a></b> - Donc, simultanément, dans les derniers jours de <b>décembre 2006</b> j'ai développé pour ce nouveau site web des pages en français que j'ai commencé à publier à partir du 7<b> janvier, 2007</b>. </span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="https://stpiusxhsmtl66.blogspot.com">CLASS OF 1966</a> - SAINT PIUS X HIGH SCHOOL - MONTREAL</b> - A handful of classmates from Saint Pius X High School kept in touch with each other in separate "pockets" over the years since we graduated in 1966. To our knowledge there had never been a reunion of our class. This echoed the prophetic words of Brother John Batterton, home room teacher for some of us in 4th high, when he would say regarding the future and his experience of graduates after they've gone: <i>"Gentlemen! Once you graduate from this school, you will never return. Such has been my experience. You will never come back, not even to say 'Thank you.'" </i>I believe some of us did go back. I returned once around 1972 when I was looking for work and to my dismay the brothers were all gone. Then, in 2002 I met Carlo Cannucci at Fr. Gerry Westphal's 25th ordination anniversary dinner at a hotel in Laval and we decided to meet again over lunch. We then reached out to a few other classmates and by 2009 we had our first "reunion" informally at Saint Luke Parish where I resided and served at the time. From there we formed a team and planned and carried out our "50th Anniversary Reunion" Saturday, <b>May 28th, 2016. </b></span></p><p><b>2020 - A year not to be soon forgotten</b> - The SARS-CoV2 virus which causes Covid-19 infection and disease erupted in China in late November and the first case of infection was recorded in Québec February 27. March 11 the WHO of the U.N. declared Covid-19 a worldwide Pandemic, and a general shutdown began in Québec on March 13th. Governments launched financial aid programs as people were laid off and businesses struggled to survive. Our Diocese laid people off in early April as churches were also shut down. After careful planning by the Diocese in sync with public health measures, our churches began to reopen at the beginning of July to a maximum of 50, which was then increased to 250 only to be reduced to 25 as a "second wave" of infections swept parts of Québec. We are still in the thick of these restrictions now as we approach Advent and then Christmas. </p><p><b>NEW EMAIL ADDRESSES</b> and <b><a href="https://fathergilleshome.blogspot.com">NEW BLOGGER PAGES</a></b> - This "down time" gave me time and opportunity to review my "digital tools" and realize I needed to make some changes. I formulated new email addresses so as to phase out email addresses from the domain name paxcaritas.net. I also took steps to migrate my original website to Blogger, which requires less labor and no cost. The original website fathergilles.net has been developed and maintained using MS Frontpage 2003, which is by now a really dated software and is fairly labor intensive to maintain and update. Blogger is actually fun to develop and maintain; so we'll see how it goes. I launched these new Blogger pages <b>September 8, 2020</b> and continue to develop them. This post is a way to time stamp these various developments. </p><div style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><div style="color: #343434; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">My purpose in this JOURNAL is to share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and as a priest and to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and also, directly or indirectly, to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"></span></p></div><div style="color: #343434; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="background-color: transparent;">----------------------------------------------------------------</b></span></div><p style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;">Mon objectif avec ce JOURNAL est </span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;">de partager</span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres personnes qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et aussi, directement ou indirectement, faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: 14.85px;"></center><p style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"></span></div><div style="color: #343434; font-size: 14.85px;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></div><div style="color: #343434; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"></span></b><p style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;"></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="FR-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><b>© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC<br />© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC</b></span><span style="text-indent: 21.6pt;"> </span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">+ + + + + + + + + + + + </span></p></div></div>Fr. Gilles Surprenanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055431919615204171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383267514883285822.post-27491333948675919822020-09-08T21:09:00.076-04:002021-03-25T22:22:45.323-04:00Fr Gilles' Start Page + Départ vers l'Abbé Gilles <p style="text-align: center;"></p><h4 style="text-align: center;"><span><p style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;">Mon objectif avec ce JOURNAL est </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;">de partager</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres personnes qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et aussi, directement ou indirectement, faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></p><p style="font-weight: 400;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px; font-weight: 400; text-align: left;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px; font-weight: 400;"></center><p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: left;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px; font-weight: 400;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><div style="color: #343434; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">My purpose in this JOURNAL is to share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and as a priest and to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and also, directly or indirectly, to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: left;"></p><p style="font-weight: 400;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"></span></p><p style="font-weight: 400;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></p><p style="font-weight: 400;"><b style="color: #800180;"><a href="https://abbagilles.blogspot.com/">Website</a> - <a href="https://frgilleshomilies.blogspot.com/">Homilies</a> - <a href="https://fathergilles.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </b><b><b><span align="center" src="file:///C:/My%20Web%20Sites/_images/" style="color: black;">- </span></b></b><b style="color: #800180;"><a href="https://1drv.ms/b/s!Amyv6OjUkKMfinYpSIILtP05Hq6w?e=XGwvjm" target="_blank">Bio & Contact</a></b><b style="color: #800180;"> </b><span style="color: #800180;"><b>+ </b><b><a href="https://chezabbegilles.blogspot.com/">Chez Gilles</a> + <a href="https://homeliesabbegilles.blogspot.com/">Homélies</a> + <a href="https://lafractiondupain.blogspot.com/">Blogue</a> </b></span></p></span><div><span><span style="color: #800180;">+ <b><b><span align="center" src="file:///C:/My%20Web%20Sites/_images/"><a href="http://fathergilles.net">1er Site</a> </span></b></b></span></span><b><span style="color: #800180;">+</span></b><b style="color: #800180;"> <a href="http://fathergilles.net">Original Website</a> - <a href="https://stpiusxhsmtl66.blogspot.com">Class of 1966</a> </b></div></h4><h4 style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #800180;"><br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpABbpkGMRhNt6areZhiluwPlPDHB8QJRZrGvk7dZ_hB5Lfc06nTVxBJkduyWCnjqEgeHCIeaWZ-XY7UEOakur6ZjYDzFj9gZJ0uv78tJ4r0lqXwgTfH9MGImoWHWIcxloBYn9Z_tvfr0/s659/Fr-Gilles-StepsStPaul-2013.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="414" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpABbpkGMRhNt6areZhiluwPlPDHB8QJRZrGvk7dZ_hB5Lfc06nTVxBJkduyWCnjqEgeHCIeaWZ-XY7UEOakur6ZjYDzFj9gZJ0uv78tJ4r0lqXwgTfH9MGImoWHWIcxloBYn9Z_tvfr0/s320/Fr-Gilles-StepsStPaul-2013.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px; font-weight: 400;"><div style="font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><div style="color: #343434; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">My purpose in this JOURNAL is to share once in a while a glimpse of my life as a Catholic Christian and as a priest and to connect with other people who desire to contribute to the common good and also, directly or indirectly, to enable personal openness to God who gives life to all of humanity and watches over us. G.S.</span></span></div><p style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"></span></p></div><div style="color: #343434; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="background-color: transparent;">----------------------------------------------------------------</b></span></div><p style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;">Mon objectif avec ce JOURNAL est </span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;">de partager</span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;">de temps en temps un aperçu de ma vie de chrétien catholique et de prêtre pour rejoindre d'autres personnes qui désirent contribuer au bien commun et aussi, directement ou indirectement, faire avancer l'ouverture personnelle à</span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.85px;"> Dieu qui fait vivre toute l'humanité et veille sur nous. G.S.</span></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 14.85px;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"></p><center style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: 14.85px;"></center><p style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"></span></div><div style="color: #343434; font-size: 14.85px;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">----------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></div><div style="color: #343434; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"></span></b><p style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;"></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="FR-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><b>© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC<br />© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC</b></span><span style="text-indent: 21.6pt;"> </span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">+ + + + + + + + + + + + </span></p></div></div></div></h4><p></p>Fr. Gilles Surprenanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055431919615204171noreply@blogger.com0